WAIMATE HOSPITAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12634, 22 March 1905, Page 4

WAIMATE HOSPITAL.

THE SEPAUATION'^JOVEMENT. At yesterday's meeting of the South Can- , terbury Hospital Board the above-named question was mentioned by the chairman in his opening statement."" Members, he said, would have noticed in the papers some correspondence from .Sir W. J. Steward regarding the separation of Waimate. This appeared to be rather premature, as nothing had occurred between this Board and the Waimate Trustees to give rise to a renewal of.' the old movement for separation. Possibly Sir William Steward had been asked-to take the matter upr but lie had done it in such a'way as to prejudice the mind of the Minister in favour of the proposal, by the use of .statements not in accordance with the facts.. It was /nothing to the point to quote the sums contributed and received by Waimate for a number of years, as the Waimate Hospital' did not belong to Waimate but to the whole dis--trict as much as the Timaru Hospital does ; and 1 it would be as reasonable -for Geraldine to demand a separate hospital as for Waimate to do so, and if they got one to claim to attach the whole of Geraldine county. Geraldine is .a 6 large a borough, as far from Timaru, and less conveniently situated, not having railway communication. The county of Waimate is approximatelv half the South Canterbury district, and if separation -took place it must be by mutual agreement between Waimate and the rest of the district. In the meantime he thought Sir Wm. Steward's interference was likely to prove mischievous and do more harm than, good. If any Bill was to be brought in it must be by mutual agreement, and the proper person to have charge of such a Bill was the member for Timaru. Sir William stated that some years ago an attempt was made by the Board to shut up the Waimate Hospital. He (Mr Talbot) did not think there had been any . such attempt. A remark to that effect might have been made' by some member of the Board, but that was pot an attempt to close the hospital, and it was wrong to charge the Board with having made such an attempt.—(The secretary: It was a remark by a former chairman.)

Mr Lyall said Sir William Steward was staying at Waimate just now, and there 1 was a good deal of excitement in the borough about the hospital, and he supposed the borough people had got him to take the matter up. The chairman said the figures quoted were entirely wrong. He sjiould quote what the borough, contributed, and it would be seen to be a small amount. It was regrettable that the people down there should take an opportunity to create a misunderstanding. If separation was wanted theje was a way of going about it; they had tried to meet the Waimate people before and would be willing to do so again. Mr Butler thought' it premature to discuss the matter, as there 'toad been nothing to cause any friction. He wished to ask whether the deputation to the Trustees gave them to understand that the Board wished them to take all cases of consumption from the whole district. He understood tney were to ask that a few cases be, taken as a temporary measure, a limited number, say ten or twelve, and that no demand was to be made for leave to "dump" all cases on Waimate. The chairman said no demand was made at all, but merely a suggestion that they, having the room for them, and the Health Department having approved of it, should take some cases. Mr Gillingbam: We did not say they , were to take the lot. I Mr Butler: The deputation • was sent because the cases could not be dealt with 'here, and Waimate was proposed to tide over the difficulty till permanent arrange- ' ments could be made. Mr Craigie said the probable number was given as ten or twelve. He thought the position was very well explained to' them. The secretary read letters he had received from Sir W. J. Steward, asking for some returns of receipts from Waimate County and Borough and the Waimate Ladies' and Benevolent Society; and of sums returned to Waimate. The Board agreed that returns should be prepared and submitted to them before being sent.