HOSPITAL ELECTION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 76, Issue 7, 26 May 1944, Page 4

HOSPITAL ELECTION

Sir, —May I through the medium of your columns have a word with the women and mothers of. this dis-» trict on the eve of the local body elections—with particular reference to the Hospital Board. As you will be aware there are two groups standing—the old Hospital Board with Mrs Haultain, Messrs Buddie, Barr, Savage and Suckling and the new group headed by Mr McGready. Now to my mind it is not so much who are standing but. what they are standing for! The old board contends that they were elected to meet the need of the sick people in our district and they have always done their best in this respect regardless of destructive criticism. Don*t forget too, that any extra burden imposed on ratepayers by their adherence l to that policy will be shared equally by each one of the members themselves. Mr McCready's group as far as I can see intend (if elected) to sit down on the job until the Government does something and to my knowledge the Government has not given the least indication that they will ever take over the hospitals. This brings me to my point. If the McGready group is elected it is to be at the expense of our sick people; the very ones who need all the help and comfort possible. My husband is, a ratepayer and if any of my family have to go to hospital I would want them to have every possible comfort and amenity and would be quite prepared to pay for it with increased rates. If. we are lucky enough not to have, anyone in hospital then I' feel we can quite well afford to help pay for those not so fortunate.' If any of our loved ones are ill we women feel we would like to suffei it for them. We are not able to do that but we can make it as com,' fortable as possible and by voting Mr Buddie's board in. We will 'know that that body will do their utmost to provide modern and comfortable hospital accommodation for the people of this district. When it comes to illness in our own families a few extra pounds in rates is a very minor consideration. Yours etc., "MERE WOMAN."