SUMMARY.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14893, 16 October 1918, Page 1 (Supplement)

SUMMARY.

THE HOSPITAL SITE.

(From "The Colonist," October 9th*.) AYe are so heartily in sympathy with the chairman of the Hospital Board in the practical efforts standing to his credit in connection with matters relating to the new hospital building that we are loth to join issue with him on the subject. We are bound to say, however, that we view with concern his suggestion at the last meeting of the board with regard to the. site of the institution, in which lieseems to have the support of the Minister of Internal Affairs. The serious objections to the location of the new hospital at- Stoke do not appear to have been sufficiently weighed, although to our mind they are obvious enough to rule the proposal out except as a last resort. We quite recognise that the- present, site is unsuitable for the purpose, an<3 that every endeavour should bo made to ensure that when the new building is erected it will be xipon a site that will be worthy of it in every respect. For that reason we regard the enforced delay in the erection of the building as a not unmixed evil, since it" gives ample opportunity to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of every practicable site within and adjacent to the city. The board's path has been rendered much easier than it had expected by the liberality of the Minister in pledging the Government to an equal share Oi the expense of acquiring a suitable property up-to a total purchase price of £5000. Obviously .such a quest is not one to be made hurriedly. It is to our mind an important consideration that the site should be ars near the city as proper regard for other essential conditions will allow, and properties beyond the city which it might be possible to acquire should not be considered until the possibilities in the city have been thoroughly investigated and found to offer no satisfactory solution. That position cannot be paid to have been reached yet. We do not deny the superficial attractions of. the Stoke proposal, but they are quite outweighed by its obvious disadvantages, chief of which, of course, is the distance from town. That objection the chairman brushes aside with tke proposition that with the Hospital and. the Cawthron Institute in situ at Stoke the long-talked-of tramway via. Tahuna becomes a foregone conclusion. We have no such confidence. Much as we would like to see a tramway system installed, we consider the probabilities of its coming to pass in tka near future altogether too uncertain to be allowed to influence the selection of a site for the Hospital. The chances are that the establishment of the institution at Stoke would long ante-date the trams, and in the meantime the very considerable traffic to and from the Hospital would "be dependent upon in inconvenient and inadequate railway service with the alternative of an expensive journey by road. We are perfectly satisfied that all the essential site requirements can be me^ without going. bo far afield, and until the '.contrary-. has been proved we hope that tne Stoke proposal will be dropped.