TOO ELABORATE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 687, 11 December 1909, Page 9

TOO ELABORATE.

THE NEW FEVER HbspiTAL.

CITY COUNCIL OBJECTS TO PAf' ■ - sfassita^t's;"; JOM7 19s n^T 11 to tho ; : , i,„ i i M ? 5- stated that somo time ago it '-,""■ : t,,fcnl eC f ldl!d t0 • I,U ' ld a ie ™ h°spi?a? aI ' ' though protests on various grounds were lodpcd ' by most o -tho local bodies concernei Afto' - detaiW he.negotiations which had 'led up to " V ho reduction of.the original levy of,J7Cooto ," .the present sum',of ,£MS7 19s, Dr. Newman . -,- went on:to say that he. was of opinionThat'.the presen levy was'too high. poin" ;: ;' i°" ™ «»8 ■chairman, of tho Hospital "Trus- : ; . lees that tho .council could-not afford to pay: ■ the present, levy, which was something like '■ '■'• 84.43 per ) cent., of the', wholeY levy on local' "; bodies. This amount could.uot bo- ■'■ : of revenue, and; the council, to "' "' borrow and so add to tho present ■■'.'' burdon... I'orsonally,. ho-, thought that-: the - Hague Hospital (with; moderate alterations) -;■ would, meet; all-requirements.'; At present it :' ■was. only .-with tho utmost difficulty that both v onds were niudo to meet, and ho thought that' ■' ' ■ an emphatic protest should be niade. It was-' - "': a harsh proceeding to put such-'a'levy on'the'" council at tho present time. . , x ~ '' -. -Councillor Devine: ."What; is the legal posi-' - tionf' ": .• ■ - "•'■■..' ... . , ■'. i •••' "■■'■' y-

The Mayor: If tho. council made a slrenu- , mis protest it would be very difficult for the '•':"■.'■'' Hospital Board to recover the money. At any rate, this council could get tho amount re- induced or postponed. Tho levy should havo - boon mado over tho. \\;hole Hospital District and not over, a part of it. -~.-.■.;,: > •:,; .-■.";; '•-Councillor-Trevor pointed.out, that the lids- ■ pilal. ttould not. cost:more' than- jGIO.OOO. Tho-; "',::• tendprs had already been received. .'..■.; ;VTho Mayor:- "This council has to:pay M&:':'■■: per cent.' of tho whole, which is:too much."- '; Councillor' Trevor-stated that, if thobuild-;"''••'• ing costilO.OOOjrthe Government-would hava : :> to pay .£5000,; and tho council's contribution:- ■' would consequently .be .lessened? '•'■' .■•■.,-.■'■ .;', '■'';■.■" *■ ; iCouiicillpr Fletcher wanted to know bow,th»> '-'■■ proportion's had been arrived at before ten- .'■".•7 ,'aers-'were,'accepted.-'■'■. ■ ':.;•; -. ■'■' ': ■ .'••'.-',..-' ■-'.-;V.-:' ■'.. ' Councillor Smith pointed out that tho whol«7 - ; of tho Work,was on estimates. If tho build- "'.'';' ing cost«less ithan the estimate ho tobt it : tliat.V '-,;"-' - tho lovy"would-bo reduced. Tho,estimate;was'■;'7 7 .veryVjiieh'.^n'thG.first place, did, not,'US. -.; tiiinli'.' that Hlicro was: any. necessity ■forsucb.tSiU ' an elaboruto; building.,. Ho woiild 'havo pre- ■'.'■■■'■■'.> 'tared a..clicapor,building, which co>ild havo •-,- , been' burned downand re-orected; in,: 8oy ( ;-.;ten'.';;',v.-■;!■• years', lime, ..The hospital should, havo .been, ;>!,.;. put up' for less : thail : half tho estimated' cost;'' ■ '>.'!'.-: .'Councillor■■.Cohen:/'What is the; position'::if • | .;;: : : wo; refuse,to payf", > : ■ ; ■■•'•-. - ■ lV ' ; .* .: .• Tho Mayor ,replied; thatv;if a protest was .:' / made, the>.councU' ; could probably gcjt>.its< levy ' ■■• out',' down. II it defied - tho .-board,' it.-would y';''. bb difficult for;;the; latter! to recover'. They; ':■''' should protest;- and then : follow up their pro-■/■".. test by. refusing.to pay, and seo .what would : happen.;' If ;a" protest .J was' not uttered, the '■•■ whole amount of tho levy would bo'called up.;;'' ,'..; , ■.Co'uncillorv'.Fitzgorald; thouglit.lhat tho City. . Solicitor.should, advise ,if the council' was leg. . ally-of-morally-bound'-to pay; : .': ;; : ; .Councillor;Flotchor also;thought:tlip council' yV : sliouH hare:.-a legal, opinion on thdi matter.;->, If the cuncil was -liable it should pay. The ■■ only, question would bo whether thp proportion ; . ;. was : toojhigh, or not; ,If tho,hmount wos: ci~ cessivc,. they could protest. •','■'.■:.>" ■■-, , . .?' ',. : ' Councillor Trevor Considered that it' was' .:' rather late in the dayfor the-'council l 'to tako , : : this.: position..'.. The: matter,'had; been, going .: : r: ' on for months,.and it was perfectly, monstrous' '; ■ to-comb.oiid^say now;that; the (old: plagub'hos-v'-i pital.was good .'enough..'.vTho,plague hospital ' :.> ■Wtisno place • for fovbr; patients. -, It was not '' ;j" much more than; fit;for n dog'kennel. -;. :, -', :'.: .Councillor Smith said that the HospitalTrustees were always, in favour of an claborat'o - building,- and their action,: with that of; the * Health*. Department, forced; the hand of tho ; - ; - Hospital Board. He; was'iir favour of the' ;y matter of the levy being postponed until' the -•' ' new' Board of. Control :was in office.. '• . . ; After tho -reading-in, committee of an opinion '"; ; by the-.City;. Solicitor, and: after, Councillorc'' '-• - ■ 1> rosti Devine, and Jlorrah had spoken, Coun< ■; '; cillor Ballihger moved:, f'That the /Hospital : ': Hoard be informed that this council proteslij''. ''/'■' agaiust tho proposed high,expenditure of dCS!B?. ■ :'' 19s. on" tho .'.erection' of' a fever hospital, and' ■'•'-' = !; deolmcs to pay the-amount as pfir thb-notice;.': '<■■ - 1 of levy- received, and' Suggests" that tho'whole- •'-■''"' matter ..bo reconsidered, with a view to. erecting .' ; a less experisivo building."'. :-, '■''„,-- .Councillor ,Hindmarsh'thought that;-if.-'tho"'- ! "- Fever ■ Hospital was.really required,: the council :, ; should not refusu to pay its share. They wore /' " 11° j ' lp 1110Il °y. and tha only thing was : ;; : to find out when tho money, would bo due. ' ' '■ He hoped the council would not bb undigificd ' ■ : m trying to, postpone tho pavraent. ■ •-' ; ',' Councillor Fletcher said.; that, the■; protest : " "'■'■<■ was against anything of an,extravagant nature '•"'" '■■* being gone on with. ','- . ,- , ■-~ ,- Councillor Atkinson thought, tho resoliitioii - "'-/ .should bo passed., ... ,-'...■- ■■.."-''■'.-'•'.'•'■ ;The';resolution' wasVcarriod, and-;tho.'Ma'vbr.' ■■ : : Councillors Devine, Ballirigcr, and Smith, were,' ' : - appomted a committee to wait npoii the Hos- ' . ' pital lrustees at their-meeting next Tuesday. V' ;i '- l 1 must finally add that I .am not agains(/i Vi tho erection of a fever hospital, but this'lew' • is too much,'.'.concluded tlioi Mayor. ■•' .;■'".:■