EXTRACTS FROM HANSARD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1894, 16 July 1888, Page 3

EXTRACTS FROM HANSARD.

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS BILL. In tho House on Jane 21st Mr Walker speakiDg on the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Bill said.— l think I may very appropriately come after the laat j speaker, (Sir W. P. Beeves) as he has to a oertaln extent expressed his surprise at finding me (n what ha implies t? be rather carious company. I am very muoh obliged to him for his sympathy and oommlseratloo, but can assure him tbat common misfortune makes assistance of any sort acceptable. I did not mean at all, Sir, to reflect upon my present companionship, because I have every reapaot. for them and for the feeling wh'ch unites us- — a feeling that we are supporting what is just and right; The honorable member who his jast spoken gavt us an assurance with a flavor of high polltioal tone As to what town members would do under certain circumstances, when it was possible that lnjastioa was being- put upon them by improper combination. I would ask him to put himself m our plaoe ; for that Ib precisely oar position. We are repelling as deoently and respeolfally as we can an injustice that is being put upon us at the present time. That is our position ; and the honorable gentleman can Imagine what his feeilngs would be la such a case — a oaie of re»' f not of Imaginary Injustice each as he has pictured. Therefore the honourable gentleman raiy well understand what our feelings are when we appeal to this House for what we deem to be nothing bat justice. Oa those grounds, I do trust that, with due regard to every interest, this House will give the Bill a patient heating, that the seoond reading will be passed, and that It will get a happy despatch to the other place. I did most fervently believe that when the present Act passed it would be a measure of relief to the country : but I could not expect that it was a final measure of relief, because the snbjeot then was m euoh a horrible state of congest 100 that it waa not, and ponld not have been expected to be, settled at one Htroke — the question was to confused, and was to differently presented m different parts of the country. But, at all events, a measure was then passed whloh has dcna a great deal to restore order to chaoa ; and what we want now is to add a little more to the structure that was then commenced, and to endeavor to make ! that measure more and more complete. It Is absurd to cay that this is looal government that we possess, so far as these matters are conoerned. The: last speaker Beemed to think that if these concessions were granted to oertaln dlstriots the whole edlfioe of local government would fall to the grounu, What Is his Idea of looftl government 1 Is It that we, who are living at a distance of fifty or sixty miles from Ghrl,s tobur oh, should be without any power of Influence or control over our ! o>vn money ?— beoause tb,at is what now I exists. I have had the honor, along with ' tLe Mayor of Ashbqrton, to represent our : oounty and borough at the Charitable Aid Board ; but what does two hours a month mean m that matter 1 The affairs of that Board reqqire not two boars « month or two hoars a week only, but I verily beHeyo — and I refer to tbe honorable member for Healhoote, who is an active member of that body, for confirmation— that two hours a day, or more. Is a fair estimate of the time bestowed upon theaffalrs of that large district. How, therefore, oan rep?esentatlves who live from fifty to a hundred miles away from Ohrhtohuroh pretend to have any power over the administration of those effilrs ? Sir, it is a great deal more than a mere matter of money upon which we appeal to the Hpu^e. £ aijin.it, of course, tbat we are byerohftrged at present time. We complain of that. But it is not the amount of money only If we b,sd control of our n^oney audoou'ld ic£o qur best with it we would not complain. We do not wish to throw any hardens upon others, and we never did. Like Walr&ato we built oar hospital years ago cut of our own fnndp, and we controlled our own charitable aid, and what we want to do now is to do It again. And here. I ar^ bound to point out that my district Is m a different position from the Waimate District, and, I think, tho other district of Mnnawatu, beoause we ate at the present time a separate hospital district. We have nothing to do with Obrlatoharoh or. TimftM. or »»y o? those ulstant and jealous localities. We are oar own mastarr m hospital matters, and we wish to be so m rqspeat to charitable aid- If we are capa'Sle of managing the one-rlf oar district is large enoagh to supply funds In one matter— surely we are able to manage oar own affairs with regard to charitable aid ; and that is all we vraut. Bit I have said it la not ao muoh a point of finance that I wish to plead for. What we want Is jastioo from the House. We wkh to be loca/ly governed, not governed by gontlomen from £4ikoura, gentlemen from Christoharohy- from Ashley, and from Akaroa. We wish to have our own affairs In oar own hands, and to deal with them as we would do with other looal business. I therefore earnestly eptreat this House to do what we 'ask of ft, This Bill is not to break up tbe present s'jatem of hospital andoharitable-aid administration, bat to prevent it breaking to pieces, of its own weight. The Bill wan read a second tlvae by S3 to 23. ' • ■ »t