NOTHING TO HIDE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 18, 26 October 1943, Page 6

NOTHING TO HIDE

HOSPITAL BOARD'S LETTER REQUISITION FROM COUNTY COUNCIL NEW LOAN PROPOSAL A lengthy discussion followed lhe receipt of the Whakatane Hospital Board, of the County Council's letter requesting the Board to make available a letter recently sent forward from the Finance Committee to the Loans Board "with reference to the much debated loan proposal for £45,000. ■ The Board decided as a courtesy gesture to make the letter available lu the Council, the chairman, Mr L. Buddie, stating that it had been authorised by the Board and left in the hands of the Finance Committee ' to draft and despatch. They had ' nothing to hide, and the letter when Finally completed bad been tabled at ' the last meeting for the benefit of members who may have desired to peruse it. Mr V. Burt thought that members might have had a personal copy made available to them in order to appraise them of its tone and contents. The chairman: But there AYiis no suggestion of .sending a copy of the letter on to the County. The Board decided merely to send this letter following its discussion. Followed Usual Practice Mrs Haullain said that the Board had merely followed, out its common practice by delegating a committee, to deal with the matter and draft up the letter. Reference to the minutes woidd show the procedure adopted. The chairman: The committee carried out its instructions and left the letter on the table for members to read it if they desired. Mr Burt: But goodness me you don't expect ns to read through a dozen pages during the meeting. The chairman: You had the opportunity. You could have taken it away with you if you wanted to. Mr Burt: Well it was no good my trying to pay attention to the meeting and wading through all that. I didn't know what was in it! Mr McGougan added that he also didn't know the letter had been written. The County Council was inclined to think that it had misrepresented the position Avith regard to the opinion of the ratepayers about the loan. He would like, to inform the Board that throughout the Hospital district practically all the ratepayers were up against the loan. He realised the urgency of the matter but he thought also that when the ratepayers were almost unanimously against the loan, the Board should co-operate with them in order to try and force the Government to father the Hospital system. Every Confidence Mr Savage said that he had not seen the letter either and realised that it was his. own fault. He had every confidence in the men appointed to draw up the letter and left it at that. But. Avhat did. the County want them to do, he asked. They were there as a board to provide adequate hospital accommodation and the Council apparently wanted, them to he down on the job. He personally -did not approve of the. method of financing the loan but as it was the only Avay open he would not shrink from it. He did not see either why any letter sent from the Board should be submitted, to the County Council. They had no right to ask for it in any case. Mr McCrcady: H' we had had the I benzine we could have got !)<) per cent, of the ratepayers to sign the j petition. Mr Savage: That's nothing to do with us. Mr MeCready: It's got a lot to do with us. They lint! the money. Mr Savage: And they also want us to lie down on the job. Mr McCrcaily: It's a pity we didirt. wo might have got something done if aw had. Petition Discussed The chairman: There were many who signed that petition not renl- ' ising what they signed. Mr Burt: I'll give £">() to the Patriotic Fund if. anyone can prove that ti tried to get one man to sign ' by arguing him into seeing il my way! Mrs Hau'tain: ( maintain thai if the petition had been worded better it wou'd have brought J'lli per ' cent, support. The ay ay it was framed d.id. not convey the true position.

She thereupon moved that the parts relating to the petition in the letter be submitted to the County Council. Mr McCready moved an amendment that the. whole letter be sent. Mr Savage: I can't sec we have anything to hide. Mr Hurt: How do you know, you haven't read. it. Mr Savage: Neither have you. Chairman's Censure i The chairman: It's distressing to know that, so many members have taken so little, interest in the activities of the Roard. Otherwise it •would never have been necessary for this discussion. I would like to point out that the responsibility is on members to make themselves conversant with the Hoard's business ;it all times. If a member says he had not acquainted himsell' with the letter he cannot blame the Roard. He may blame the chairman lor not using the bell more often, but not the Roard. At this point Mrs Ilaultain agreed to withdraw her motion in favour of the amendment, observing that she personally had been very gkul to see the letter go. bill it looked as if the. Roan! was getting into the bad. habit of delegating too much power to sub-committees. The motion that -the whole letter should be sent to the County Council was then carried without dissent-