HOSPITAL CONTROL SYSTEM

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1932, Page 10

HOSPITAL CONTROL SYSTEM

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ACT.

PATEA' BOARD NOT FAVOURABLE.

The proposed amendment to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Act providing for the merging of hospital districts was again briefly discussed by the Patea board yesterday.- In the event of this being enacted it was considered that the suggested commission would be the best safeguard that could be secured. The board, however, does not favour the proposed merging, which may affect the Patea district. The Patea hospital is -free of debt and has ample endowments so that its rate is particularly low.

The subject was raised by a letter from the Bay of Islands board. The communication referred to the decisions of the Hospital Boards’ Association executive on the proposed amendments. It was doubtful if some of these proposals to which the executive gave unqualified approval would have been acceptable to the conference. This particularly applied to the proposed amendment giving power to merge nospitals with the appointment of a commission to hear objections. This, if adopted, would confer autocratic powers on a Government official who would .hold the destinies of the smaller boards in his hand. Apparently in approving these undemocratic proposals the executive had given scant consideration to the smaller boards. As the appointment of commissions was the only safeguard it was essential that the inembers should be selected from those with intimate knowledge of the requirements of the districts and should be presided over by a magistrate.

The Patea board was generally in agreement with the Bay of Islands’ letter.

PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

ENGINEER’S MONTHLY REPORT.

Routine business was transacted at the monthly meeting of the Patea County Council yesterday. The engineer (Mr. L. F. Row) reported as follows: —: Kapara riding: Further widening and clearing of slips was done on lower Waitotara Valley Road and a length of 40 chains -was countersunk for metalling. A number of small slips was cleared on Moeawatea Road, which was in fair order.

Moumahaki riding: A large slip that came down during the month on the hill section of Weraweraonga Road caused complete blockage for some days, but that was cleared sufficiently for wheeled, traffic. Waikare Road was repaired and new pipe culverts were laid. ’Other roads had received routine maintenance and clay roads were being graded. Waverley riding: Grading was done on upper Okotukfl, Parahaki and Waverley Beach Roads, and other roads would be graded at an early date.

Otoia east: Metalling was commenced on Niagara and Matuku Roads and other metalled roads were repaired and blinded with stone chips where necessary. Otoia west: The seasons metalling programme was well advanced and sections of Ball and Hursthouse Roads were scarified and reshaped and. new metal was added where required. Ordinary routine , maintenance has been attended to and surface . patching done on the main road. A .complaint about a culvert from settlers on Taumaha Road was referred to Crs. R. G. Scown and R. J. Watt and the engineer with power to act. The Matamata County Council’s circular on rabbit and ragwort control was received. General support was given, especially to that portion relating to the control by the Department of Agriculture of sodium chlorate to prevent exploitation. It was considered that farmers should be able to secure their requisites as conveniently and as cheaply as possible. The Waitotara County Council wrote outlining a valuation scheme, providing for the classification of land into various categories. The chairman (Cr. W. G. Belton) said they could not do much until they knew the nature of the Government’s proposed legislation. From the county rating point of view it did' not matter what the valuations were so long as they were consistent. It was decided to hold the letter over. Attention was drawn to 1 the practice of some farmers of grazing, their stock on the roads and it was decided to give a final warning to those concerned. Cr. Belton presided and other councillors present were Messrs. W. H. Watkins, C. E. Johnston, W. Back, J. Peat, J. Lupton, R. J. Watt, R. G. Scown, and D. Hurley.

MEETING OF W.D.F.U. BRANCH.

”UNI DISTRICT NEWS.

'.i a puni branch of the Women’s Div-1.,. ;.i of the Farmers’ Union held its montlilv meeting in the Kapuni hall last Wednesday, Mrs. Gamlin (president) presiding over a large attendance of members and friend's. Mrs. Robb (Hawera) gave a very interesting demonstration of brasswork. ( Owing to December and January being busy months there will be no more meetings until February, when there will be a competition for the best article made from a sugar bag. A vote of thanks was accorded Mrs. Robb, Mrs. Crighton (also of Hawera) and Mrs. Sutherland, president of the. Manaia. branch, for the interest taken in the newly-formed Kapuni branch. At the conclusion of the meeting afternoon tea was served by the hostesses, Mesdames G. Luscombe and W. Trearor. Mrs. H. P. Gibson has returned home after spending a short holiday at Wanganui. Mrs. T. Bell is recovering from her illness. Mrs. T. Broomfield is spending a holiday with friends at Hawera. HAWERA TALKIE ATTRACTIONS. “BEAUTY AND THE BOSS” FINALLY Gay scenes in Paris and Vienna, with Warren William as the play boy of the boulevards, are shown in “Beauty and the Boss,” the Warner Bros.’ comedydrama which opened at the Hawera Opera House last night and will be shown finally to-night. Warren William and Marion Marsh are co-featured with Charles Butterworth in the comedy lead, and there is a strong supporting cast. The screen version was adapted from “A Church Mouse,” and the'theme of the-story is that of an ill-dressed but beautiful secretary who finds that the busy bee must transform herself into a butterfly in order to find love. Her employer, a master of men and money, is a puppet in the hands of women, and, in her efforts to protect him, she unconsciously falls in love with him herself. Reserves are at Miss Blake’s.