HOSPITAL ADMINISTRA= TION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 203, 21 May 1908, Page 4

HOSPITAL ADMINISTRA= TION.

, 0 i r;"-'I,v THE GOVERNMENT'S BILL DISCUSSED. VIEAVS OP WELLINGTON HOSPITAL ,BOARD, " The. -Hofinitals and Charitable-Institutions BilJ .was briefly discussed by:'the Wellington' Hospital Board yesterday morning.' TKe Chairman (Mr., J. P., Luke) said the Bill did not appear to him likely' to create any,'.improvement on the present system. Ho : considered tluit the.'Boards should be; elpctcd': by- tho peoplo direct, with the addition of nominees of tho Government,,and not by- the,, district: .committees. Ho held' that" tho enlargement of districts would be a distinct ■ advantage. Tho Government'representatives, ■ might-well bo tho' high departnjental.officials. Ho moved in favour of the direct election of i one or more representatives from each, parliamentary electorate, '.and that the Government should - alep appoints/ three . 33' long as tho •G.c^eipfflent';p^^dy'^s.^j«; v pi9d on .the proseiitf'scale:>; ; {^'His.-' i.tiea,^.was-''that' : cipal '.Board 'should forj-tlie control of,-tho 'separate institutions. . Mr...'E..T,: Moorq seitoiided t-lio' motion.- "Hp. said' the: systcmi.of/direct electibn;would 'm4Ke.; " clioicgi^bf;mombors Vimiibssibls;'■ ■'rr' Mr. 0. -J. Crawford supported ihe mofibn. ;The' actual Board, should be the supremo authoritj-, - and should' th.erefore ■be elected by the people. ' He was strongly against the reductioir of subsidies, proposed by the Act. ' .. Mr.. R, C. Kirk said that under, tho Bill as • framed' the. ' Boards'- would sbo. siniremb', and nee.d .-jiot :.<lslega'ts'' to : - the dpihmittees any powers they did not think lit/ _TJib local committees -would bb appointed' direct byl tho'.-people. ; ,The. Bill's, provisions : would; be more, dom.o.cratic tlisn/.tho ■amendmontof the chairman, as the Government had not proposed, to nominate members ; . The Chairman: That was onlj''suggested so' as to retain tho subsidy-:.'.':.: '.v.?-:,-Mr. Kirk said he thought ,the Government, did not regard the subsidy question very .seriously, and would probably abandon;t-he : proposal to reducp it, which, was, aimed at. . charitable . aid. rather .'..tfcan^. : hospitals, »and would "iio "doubt be'" 'unanimously, opposed 1 -by the conforence. ' Ho thought-the'Bill'was ; a great improvement on. the existing Act. . ' Jlr. M'Ewan was; strongly*opposed to any reduction of subsidies.,;. ■ Tho resolution was adopted as : a remit to tho forthcoming conference. . • The Chairman said .he was dead against the, payment. of. anything ; , beyond travelling expenses, tji: the chairnien of the Boards'.lt-' would open' tlie way to, similar payments *in.; connection with other local bodies; The chairman of tho Board would not ho required to do moro work than was bheei-fully lindortaken.by -many- City .Councillors 'without any remuneration.'- .... After some discussion, the. Board adopted a remit in favour of payment of' travelling expense.s.;to .meinbeijs of the' Boarfls,: ia, addition. to;, opo.:guiiiea-:a' day. when .attending' meetings more than, twenty, miles from tlieir places. of residence. ; - ■ ■ • ■ ~ ....The/ Chairman/.Mr. Crawford,, and ; , Mr. Mooro were appointed' delegates -to .the'. 0011ference. ■ . ' '''