HOSPITAL MATTERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 71, 8 May 1946, Page 7

HOSPITAL MATTERS

COUNTY COUNCIL DISCUSSION

AWAITING PARLIAMENTARY DECISION

A letter from the Waitemata County Council urging that in the event of the Counties not being given considerable relief from hospital rates as a result of the Parliamentary Committee’s report there be an immediate meeting of County Council representatives to decide what action shduld be taken, was received by the Whakatane County Council at its last meeting when it was decided that no good purpose would be served by holding a County conference before Parliament assembled.

The letter contended that although the Parliamentary Committee had made a recomendation “that some relief must be provided to ratepayers” it have not yet been approved by the Government. The burden of direct hospital taxation upon ratepayers was becoming intolerable and unless something were done immediately to ascertain the views of the Government, County Councils would again be forced into having to find 'huge sums out of their ratepayers’ pockets to finance hospital expenditure. The Waitemata County was of the opinion that the Executive had failed in its duty in not convening a meeting in compliance with the terms of the above resolution. In view of the fact that Councils would in the very near future have to prepare their estimates for the present financial year, the Waitemata County urged all Councils to co-operate and demand that a conference be called immediately—not in June as had been suggested by the Executive.

Cr McGougan discussing the recent move by the County to amalgamate with the Waikato Board’s district, said that the procedure had been very misleading to the public. There had been some expense incurred and he had been lead to be- ! ieve that Waikato would agree to the suggestion. It now appeared that they had been merely beating the air.

Position Was Explored

The Chairman said that what had been , done was merely by way of exploring the position. In accordance with the decision of the Council, delegates had waited on the Waikato Board following conferences with the Borough Council. Now it appeared that the Waikato Board was not interested. * Cr Hunter: Was there not another course whereby the Governor-Gen-eral could be asked to act and effect ■amalgamation even though the Waikato Board was not willing? The Chairman: Yes, there was an alternative, but we might or might not have done so. Cr Hunter: I understand that the Waikato Board has purchased 110 acres on Hillcrest for the purpose of erecting a new Chest Block. We should not lose sight of that!

The Chairman: The whole matter will come up again when the hospital districts are re-shaped. We have gone into it but our efforts have not been wasted.