Minister Inspects And Approves Proposed Site In Levin For Sanatorium

Chronicle (Levin), 5 August 1948, Page 4

Minister Inspects And Approves Proposed Site In Levin For Sanatorium

s "You can say that I apprpve of the alternative site in Levin for the erection of a tuberculosis sanatorium," said: the Minister of Health, Miss Mabel Howard, in an interview this morning. She made this statement'following an inspection of the area of land recommended as suitable by the Western Hospital Districts' Sanatorium Committee. . . "I think the site is a very favourable one," said Miss Howard. She added that she would authorise the committee to proceed with an investigation of the surrounding land, as a large area Would be required. Mviss Howard said that she did not desire publication of the names of the possible property owners involved until the negotiations were eompleted as she did not wish people to gain the impression that "she was going to walk in and take their erround."

The-party, which consisted of the chairman of the Sanatorium Committee, Mr. J. A. Nash, the representative of the Wellington Hospital Board, Mr. H. F. Toogood, the secretary of the committee, Mr. A. J. Phillipps, ' and Dr. Taylor, of the Health Department, who accompanied the Minister, was met by the Mayor of Levin, Mr. H. B. Bur'dekin, with whom was the town clerk, Mr. H. L. Jenkins. An outline of the complete environs of the site in relation to the town was given by Mr. Burdekin, after which technical observations were made by Dr. .Taylor and members of the committee. - The Minister seemed impressed with all she saw and was quick with questions of a technical nature. During the inspection she stated that she was desirous of getting the sanatorium project under way as soon as possible. "I want to see this thing commenced before the end of my term," she remark'ed. As one of her principal concerns was drainage and the formation of the ground, Miss Howard was shown the strata of the land in the vicinity, after which she was conviiiced on this point. This development follows four years of fruitless negotiation lor a site by the committee, during which opposition to sites suggested has been forthcoming from Government and Maori owner alike. Over 12 prospective sites have been conned by the committee and turned down because they would not fulfil the specific needs of a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients.' Last year it was thought that the ideal site at Levin had been found but complications, in the form of a Maori owrier and the Maori Lands Act, forced the site to be abandoned. VERBAL BATTLE OYER SECRECY ABOUT SITE No details of the site were forthcoming at a meeting of the Western Hospital Districts Sanatorium Committee yesterday. After a verbal battle between Mr. P. E. Stainton (Taranaki) and the chairman (Mr. J. A. Nash) the details were divulged in committee and later the general principles were discussed in open boar'd. When Mr. Nash suggested that the prospective negotiations should be withheld from the Press for the meantime, Mr. Stainton objected. "1 do think it is time that wliat we have to say about the sanatorium us said out of committee, he said. "We have probably brought a lot of just criticism down on ourselves from the public because they don't know whai we are doing. " "Whenever we go into committee it is only on the question of a site," re turned Mr. Nash. "I don't think we should discuss sites in open meeting

when negoJtiations are only just begun. ' ' Mr. fl. Thrusli (Hawera) said that his board wisliod to be told more of wliat was going on. He asked if the publication of dfetails regarding the site would stop an owner from selling. "I don't know liow it will alfect the owners," commented Mr. II. F. Toogood (Wellington). "It is obvious that the land will have to be takcn under the Public Works Act and the priee must be decided from tlie evidence before the Assessment Court. It is time we came down flatfooted on this matter. The Minister of Health has told u§ publiclv to look for a site at Titahi Bay. To us, Titahi Bay is Porirua and we don't want that. We want Levin. The Health Department 's oihcers decided ou a site at Levin for the committee and thife is only halfla mile or a mile away from the Department 's site. "The Maoris were not interested in discussiug the fonner site and some senior ohicer, faneying hiuiself aggrieved, put siind in the works. Wo must impreSs the Minister that we want the Levin site when we meet her tomorrow." In discussing tlie new site at a later stage of the meeting Mr. Nash said that the Government had investigated a site at Levin on. its own aceount but Avhen it rofcrred the matter to tlre committee it was found to bo unsuitable for the sjieeial use to wliich it was to be put. "Now we have a site which is even more suitable than the others we have investigated because it has gas and borough water within easy reach and is close to the railway," Mr. Nash told the meeting. 4 ' The Mayor of Levin has given 113"' the imdertaking that sewerage will he available when we need it. " He quoted newspaper passages reporling the debate on the Tuberculosis Bill iu which .Miss Howard said "the Western District Committee lias_ messed around" when referring to tlie site negotiations. "We liavo beeu trying to make progress, ' ' he said. ' ' Li we ean't make progress what is the use of the ^committee. The messing around has not been on the part of the committee." It was decided that the Palmerston North Hospital Board, as trustees for the conpuittee, be requested to take tlie necessary steps for securing the land for the sanatorium, and that the aetuat area to be taken be decided by a special committee. A further resolution was carried requiring that the site referred to by the chairman inMiis statemenl when the meeting was in committee, be the one the committee negotiate for. "We have been trying to get tbe best site possible, but when we reaclmd the linal positiou we met with opposition, this uotwithstanding tlie fact that it is the Maori people who are most concerned with tuberculosis- We were not able to ^et tlie land because it was Maori land,", commented Mr. Stainton. "The best site is nonc too good for Ihe people who must be treatcd. "