Marton Hospital Delay To Be Subject Of Meeting Shortly

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 October 1948, Page 3

Marton Hospital Delay To Be Subject Of Meeting Shortly

Ever since the Marton Memorial Hospital became a serious proposal in 1943, much water has flowed under the bridge, and due to the procrastinations ol the Health Department comparatively little headway has been made to implement the promise made by the Minister of Health, to erect the hospital, except that Rangitikei residents have raised some £5i)UO as its quota towards its establishment. Latest development was the decision of the Marton Borough Council on Wednesday night empowering the Mayor (Mr. T. E. Barton), to convene a meeting shortly of ail interested organisations when Mr. Barton, who is the district’s representative on the Wanganui Hospital Board, will submit to the meeting all (he relevant facts concerning the proposed Marton hospital. The meeting will then decide whether a public protest meeting should be held and what further action should be taken to see that the hospital becomes an established fact. The council was almost on the point of adjourning for the evening when Cr. A. S. Blackledge recalled that the council had discussed the hospital project a month ago, but at the request of the mayor had postponed any action until after the October meeting of the Hospital Board as Mr. Barton wanted to explore other avenues. Cr. Blackledge asked the mayor whether he had any fresh information to convey to the council. The mayor said that the board at its last meeting had decided to. ascertain what steps should be taken to secure the title of land off Rita Street, which had been donated as a site for the hospital. Referring to the major building proposals at the Wanganui Public Hospital, Mr. Barton said the board for the last five years had been trying to build a maternitv block, but due to the alterations and rejections of plans by the Health Department, the block was still not built. That would give the council some indication of the difficulties being faced in hospital building, explained Mr. Barton. The Health Department, said Mr. Barton, had requsitions for new hospitas and alterations amounting to £13,000 000, but the grant available for such work was only £1,000,000. Marton's contribution of £5OOO was only a drop in the ocean. He had seen two letters from the Minister of Health in which she stated that the demands for hospitals had been so great that a decision on the Marton project had not yet been reached, said Mr. Bartan. “I don’t think it is much use calling a public meeting until we go to Wellington and interview the Prime Minister” said Mr. Barton. 'We are not going to get anywhere with the present set-up of the Health Department, or the Minister of Health" he added. When the Minister was in Marton, it was stated that money was no object, said Cr. A. Grade. The land had been promised, some of the money raised and building material was available, he added. Cr. J. R. Howard: It doesn't seem as if the Wanganui Hospital Board is very interested anyway. The mayor: I wouldn’t say that. Cr. Gracie: I think the board chairman is against us. Cr. A. Todd: The majority of the board members are against us. Cr. Blackledge suggested that the mayor call a meeting of residents when they could be informed of the latest developments. What riled him was the fact that a hospital costing £70.000 was being built at Mangakino, said Cr. Fowler. Both Crs. Todd and Gracie supported Cr. Blackledge in his move to convene a meeting and after further discussion on the subject, it was left to the mayor and the town clerk, Mr. C. C. McDonald, to arrange a suitable date for a meeting of "interested bodies.” The clerk read a list of some 30 organisations which had been invited to an earlier meeting.

MARTON GASWORKS SUBJECT OF TWO REPORTS.

Matters affecting the efficiency of the Marton Gasworks was the subject of two reports submitted by the Mayor, Mr. T. E. Barton, and the gasworks manager, Mr. A. Watson, and discussed at a meeting of the Marton Borough Council on Wednesday night. The reports were based on a recent inspection of the gasworks by Mr. W. J. Stone, former manager of the Wanganui gasworks. The works meter ceased operating 10 years ago and during that period the make of gas per ton of coal had been “by guess or bv God,” stated the mayor. The purpose of a works meter was to register the make per ton, to check on bad or indifferent stoking, to enable the manager to detect an abnormal percentage in unaccounted for gas and other useful data, said Mr. Barton. The town clerk explained that the output had been based on sales per ton. There was no meter showing the actual manufacture of gas at the works. The mayor recomenaed that an endeavour be made to have the meter repaired and brought into operation a< Mr. Barton’s report also dealt with the condition of the retorts and impending alterations to the dining rooms at the gasworks. For a considerable number of years, said the Mayor, a considerable quantity of saleable coke had been thrown away with the furnice ashes. He had since authorised the gasworks manager to procure a screen to screen the ashes for the recovery of coke. He considered that about a ton ot coke would be saved per month to the value of approximately £5O yearly. Technical matters were dealt witl. by Mr. Watson in his report. The council adopted the reports. PERSONAL. Mr. and Mrs J. Caithness, who have been staying at the Okoroire Springs Hotel, Waikato, have returned home to Marton.