South Canterbury Times, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1886.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 4249, 25 November 1886, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1886.

We certainly tnink that the Borough Council did wisely last evening in re-electing Mr John Jackson as their representative on the Sooth Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. There are, of course, certain obvious reasons why the Mayor for the time being should bold such a position, as an outsider could scarcely be expected to look after the interests of the borough, so carefully as one who was necessarily brought into daily contact with the Town Clerk, who likewise bolds the post of Secretary to the Board. Although the result of yesterday’s election deprived Mr Jackson of the chair he has so worthily filled during the past four years, he cannot in any sense be considered an outsider, and if be agrees to be nominated for the vacancy caased by the resignation of Mr William Junes, there is little doubt that be will be a Councillor ere long. Nor is it likely that Mr Jonas will object to the late Mayor being elected as a member of the Board, while there are special circumstances, which warrant such a course. Mr Sutter, who is not the man to mince matters when he believes he has unearthed a scandal,spoke of the decision of the Commissioners in the dispute between the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and the Waimate County Council as iniquitous, and we are inclined to agree with him. Our readers will remember that the Commission, or to speak more properly the Resident Magistrate by bis casting vote, came to the conclusion to reduce the Waimate county’s contribution by £425, and the Waimate borough was also relieved to some extent, although the latter had made no appeal against the levy. As the Act provides that the decision of the Commissioners is final, the Board is so situated that it will not have sufficient funds to carry out the work allotted to them, unless a farther rate is struck. The law as it stands at present, provides that tbe contributions from local bodies shall be proportioned to tbe rateable value of property, and it was on this basis that tbe demand upon tbe Waimate county was made. As we read the Act, what the Commission had to decide was whether the Board had in any way travelled out of their legal powers, but they went further than this and judged the question from a purely equitable point of view. We are far from saying that tbe Waimate people have not reason to complain in having to contribute to tbe support of their own and tbe Timaru Hospitals, but tbe fault lies with tbe law and not with tbe method of its administration. Had tbe Board been able to impose differential rates they might have done so,but in tbe absence of this power they could only have acted as they did. We have referred to this important question for tbe purpose of showing that tbe newly 'elected Board should as far as practicable be composed of the members of the old one, as they will necessarily be better acquainted with the details. Mr Jackson, in his capacity as Chairman during tbe past year, has presided over tbe deliberations of that body with care and intelligence and his absence would be a distinct loss. The Borough Council, therefore, did wisely in appointing him as their representative, and they may be certain that be will watch over their interests quite as well as when he occupied the Mayoral chair.