The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. SATURDAY, JAN. 15, 1887.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2265, 15 January 1887, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

SATURDAY, JAN. 15, 1887.

Eijukl and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

The Waikato Hospital and Charitable Aid Board have acted with commendable promptitude. They have demonstrated to the outside world the sincerity of Waikato's profession that she was quite willing and able to look after her own sick and destitute. About her obligatious ill this respect nothing re-, quires to be said, but it is well not to lose sight of the enormous advantage secured to us by the separation of this district from Auckland.

There cannot be any reasonable doubt at all that the sum of our contribution to the Auckland Board, had we remained attached, would next year have reached, with the subsidies, £6000. Of this very little, a mere trifle, would have been returned to us in any shape or form. Not only would the vast proportion of the money be spent upon objects wholly unconnected with Waikato, but the pro6t, small as it might be, accruing to the contractors who fed and clothed our own poor, would be reaped by Auckland tradespeople.

On the other hand, the result of separation is shortly this. Not only do we keep the comparatively small sum derivable from self-taxa-tion within the district, but we shall receive a like amount from the Government to be locally expended. These advantages may not appear great, but they am distinct and real, and their acquisition marks the steady progress of the policy of local self-government and the decadence of the grasping system of centralism which has descended to us from days of Provincialism. But the mere act of separation from Auckland would be a poor achievement if it did not enable us to establish in Waikato an institution, the need of which we have felt so long and so keenly —we mean a

hospital—and it is for their prompt action in regard to this matter that the hoard deserve the warmest thanks of the people of this district. We are sure it is not necessary for us to go over the ground so well trodden already and recapitulate all the arguments in favour of the erection of a hospital in Waikato. We are quite certain that the recol taction of suffering borne by so many of our fellow settlers, and which might have been avoided had we possessed an asylum for the sick and injured, will afford the strongest proof needed. It is a pity the whole of the contributory bodies were not represented at Wednesday's meeting, because had all the members been present, more decisive action might have been taken in respect of one or two matters, but, after all, not much time will be lost, and before the approach of winter we *iay expect to see tke hospital and the machinery for the administration of Charitable Aid in full working order. X