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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 279, 17 April 1913, Page 4

THE NEW HOSPITAL. The plans for the new hospital are at last complete, and were before the Hoard yesterday. The construction is evidently not going to be scamped in any way. judging by the description given by the chairman yesterday, and reported elsewhere in this issue. It has been designed to meet the needs of the future more than those of the present, and accordingly should serve the district for many years to come. The cost is estimated at £33,000, of which the Government is finding half. The other half is being saddled on to the contributing bodies. How and where they are going to obtain the funds is another matter. At present the prospect is not too cheerful. Most of our local bodies are in a chronic state of impecuniosity, and they arc hard put to it to find funds for their bare necessities without having to dip deeply into their pockets for an outside object of tliis kind. The powers, that be have a rather autocratic way of doing things. The Health Department send their officer around; he inspects the present building; condemns it immediately; and orders the erection oi

a brand new edifice, regardless of all { considerations of expense. The Has- J pital Board, being powerless in the mat- \ tor, have to meekly obey and dutifully proceed with carrying out the behest of the all powerful Department. Of course, the Department may be quite justified in ordering 1 the erection of a new building, and the Board might be equally justified, whilst about it, in making "a job of it." But the point is that the ratepayers who are looked to to provide half the cost have no say in the matter at all. It is regarded as an axiom in our constitution that there shall be no taxation without representation, but in matters affecting hospitals it is evident that this cherished principle does not apply. The local bodies perforce have but to grin and bear it; though we hardly expect, from the lugubrious remarks dropped yesterday by the representatives of the various local bodies who are on the Hospital Board, that members of the local bodies concerned will wear much of a grin when the demand for their share of the cost comes before them. Where is the money to come from? This is a question which will exercise their minds, just. as it is exercising the minds of the Hospital Board. The late Minister for Hospital affairs (Mr. Russell) promised that the Government would lend the'; local bodies the necessary money at the lowest rate of interest, but with the national exchequer in a depleted condi-, tion—at least the acting-Minister for Finance says it is, though the Prime Minister, on the other hand, is boasting of a surplus of £ 600,000—where, we ask again, is the money coming from? It is for the Government that ordered the erection of the palatial new edifice to provide the answer, and as speedily as possible. Otherwise, the Hospital Board, which is committed already to heavy preliminary costs, may pass a few uncomfortable nights.