MONEY FOR HOSPITALS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 41, 18 February 1932, Page 6

MONEY FOR HOSPITALS

NOTHING FOR WANGANUI BOARD WANTS TO KNOW WHY ; FUKTHEK ACTION LIKELY. ' > j - Newspaper reports that the W.nm, nut Hospital Board had been left “»■ ■hn r° Ut °u f the ],St of «• - boards from the rest of the £75,000 al- ■ location for relief of hospitals, a sum amounting to £38,000, caused concern at yesterday’s meeting of the Wanganui body. After the position had been i been verified, action is to be taken to interest political representatives of dis- > tricts governed by the board, the board seeking their aid in combined representation. ; Mr. W. E. Broderick, chairman, told . yesterday’s meeting of the board that, the £38,000 was the last of the original , £75,000. It was rather a blow for the board to find that it had been left off. The board had considered economy in , every way, and no board could have done more than the Wanganui Board. . The Wanganui Board had been economical and had been left in the void. A member: That’s it. The chairman continued to say that it was encouraging the thriftless at the expense of the thrifty. It was not a fair thing. Air. Simpson said that he had been told that with thc system working in Palmerston North outdoor relief had not cost the board there a penny. Yet Palmerston North Fid benefited to the extent of £3OOO. The chairman understood that the gront wa.s purely and simply to help the hospital boards who had suffered financially because of the demands of outdoor relief. It had been pointed out that the district of the Wanganui was mainly a sheep-raising district, and where could the board get more money? They would have to put on more rates, and the rate could not be paid. The Afinister of Health had given th© deputation that waited on him at Alarton the definite understanding that the claims of the Wanganui Board would be considered along with the rest. He suggested that the matter should be placed before the members of Parliament interested, Afessrs. Dickie, Veitch, Langstone and Stuart. He moved that the board should express its great surprise and resentment that it had been left out on its proportion of the allocation of £75,000. The motion should be forwarded to the Alinister and the members of Parliament concerned asked to take immediate action. Air. W. J. Rogers suggested that the actual position should be received from the department. He suggested that the word “resentment” might be better changed to “disappointment.” Air. Broderick: Aliss it out if you like. Air. Rogers: Well “disappointment” would fill the bill. Put in “angel” if you think that a kinder word might, bring any result, put in the kindest word in the world. Mrs. Siddells seconded the motion. Air. R. Farley said that nobody would be the more pleased than he if they could get some money for nothing. He understood that they had £2OOO saved from the wmrking of the hospital, they could still use that. The chairman: They want us to. Looking at the point broadly, said Mr. Farley, he did not know that they were trying to assist the department or the Government in asking for the money. Y’et farmers were looking for some assistance. The Government and all departments wero practically in the same position. The board would not be put to any loss and would come out square at the end of the year. The department might be in a better position by leaving them out. They had to look at things broadly, far more broadly than they had done in yenrs' past. But all the same the board would be very pleased if they could get the money. So much the better. But they should not lose eight of the fact today that they had to help the department. The chairman said that the £75,000 had been allocated to hospital’ boards from the taxpayers, and those in the Wanganui Hospital Board area had paid their quota of the money. The board was entitled to its share. Work that they had expected to bo allowed to include in capital expenditure, (strengthening of the buildings) had been objected to and they would have to include it in maintenance. If the Wanganui Board got some assistance they would come out square, otherwise they would come out on thc wrong side of thc ledger.