A PURCHASE QUESTION

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 849, 22 June 1910, Page 8

A PURCHASE QUESTION

HOSPITAL SITE AT HUTT. HOT DISCUSSION BY BOARD. INNUENDOES RESENTED. . Warm feeling was engendered at tho meeting of tho Hospital Board yesterday by some remarks' of the Rev. H. Van Staveren made in moving the following motion: — "That the. Finance Committee bring down a report regarding Hutt land for hospital site, tho committee to report who were the men that bought that land, what was paid for same, and what use'is made of it." , Mr. Van Staveren explained that tho motion referred to land which had been purchased by the old Hospital Board as the site of a future hospital to serve the Hutt Valley. Ho understood that £4273 had been spent, in connection with-this purchase. He did not know how true it was, but it was stated that this land was not even within the drainage area, and that very often during winter it was under water. It : was bought- by the District Hospital Board, the purchase being urged by Mr. Lundon and by the then Mayor of Lower Hutt, Mr. M'Donald. He understood that tho land was not worth £2000 to-day, and that tho board had 'not thought it suitable- or worthy to bo fenced, so that it might bo let for grazing. If, as lie was given to understand, tho site was thoroughly unsuitable for its purpose, he wished to know why all this, money had been laid out ■on- it.' The 'gentlemen who had ■ forwarded this purchase' r were the'gentle.men who were on every committee — Mr. Lundon: Who nro the genttcmen ? l ' ' Mr. Van;Staveren: Oh, I shall name them. Mr. Van Staveren named Messrs. Lundon, Godber, undKirk. Mr. Lundon, he said, had urged tho matter with Mr. J. P. Luke on the board. The land was lying idle after _ the money had been sunk, and ho wished ,to know what they were going to do with it. If the position was as-it was stated,:he would, like to.see other men placed in the-position which the men he had referred to were in at present. They were, tin every committee.-What confidence could they have in men who had spent £4000 and thrown _ it away? Ho had no axe. to grind in. this matter. The board was spending public money, and he considered.it a sin and disgrace that it should have spent money in that way, lie'did not know if tho position as he had stated it. was true, rbut he would, cortainly .like to know more .about it. The Motion Seconded. Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald seconded tho motion, which, he said, he. bad not read till- that moment. He judged by the very strenuous manner in which •Mr". Van Staveren had spoken that there must be something in the matter, and if he could assist the" mover in bringing to light anything-he would be only too pleased. At tho' first meeting" of the board he bad asked [ what the.price was which had been paid for : this land, . and whether it was occupied. He washed to believe, in reply, that it -was let for grazing, though "he had seen the land a short time before, and it /was then. unfenced. The land was then an utter swamp, and it seemed- almost impossible for ' anything to graze on it at all. The matter was of great importance, and he wished to know what the board intended doing ,with'the land,,, ; He had'been told that 'the man' who gold the property to the board, had turned over 100 per cent, in a few months. If that was so, more light should he thrown on the purchase. "-. '. ■'■ ' ' ■ • Mr. M'Ewen in Reply. Mr. :J. W. M'Ewen. said it was not necessary for him'to defend Mr. Luke and the other gentlemen who had been named, though as members of the district hospital board at' the time / ' Mr. Fitzgerald: I have not imputed anything' against those gentlemen at all. Mr. M'Ewen replied that the motion and the definite statement made by Mr. Van Staveren pointed in that direction. Tho Hospital Board bought the land for about £400 an acre. Mr. Van'Staveren contended that that was too high a price, but knowing what ho (the speaker) knew of tho Hutt v , he thought ;that the price, was a-very fair one for tho time when tho purchase was made. It -was true that, very many people made money out of Hutt land at that time. Ho.honestly thought the land to-day was worth what.the board paid for it. A member stated that ho know a block of land in the Hutt district which was valued at £1000 an. acre. Exchange or Sale? ■ Mr. M'Ewen urged that the Government valuation of the land to-day should be the test- applied to the purchase. Nothing would be gained by . discovering who ' were the men who bought tho land. They knew that the Hospital Board bought it for a hospital site for the Hutt Valley in the" future. . Tho land could bo exchanged for another site, if that was thought good, or it could be sold and another sito purchased. The day was not far off when the " demand would have to be ■ met for a hospital for the Hutt Valley. They might consider'whether tho land could not be fenced and let for grazing until -the board was prepared to go into the matter of' building a hospital for the Hutt Valley. . Mr. G. T. Lundon said that probably no great-harm could bo dono in acquainting the board with 'all tho information in .regard to' the purchase, but it seemed to liiui that the mover of tho motion had been prompted,by ths desire to "get at" tho speaker because he happened to be on more committees . than Mr." Van Staveren. If a majority of the members of the board thought that he (Mr. Lundon) could serve them —and he believed ho could—with perhaps a little more, efficiency than Mr. Van Stavorcn, ho could not help that. Mr. Van, Staveren had been very eloquent in saying that the. land was not. worth £-100 now, but many properties in Wellington had depreciated in value (luring the same period. He had occupied a position on tho board as representative of the Petone people, and they thought at the time, seeing that the Hutt Valley'was being carved up into miniature sections, that it was advisable to make tho strongest representation to tho board that provision should be made for tiho establishment of a hospital .for the Hutt. Valley. Mr. M'Donald and others waited on tho board and made representations to tin's effect. Tlio board invited applications for a site from many sources, and after examining many properties decided that of ail those- offered the oi» purchased was the most suitable and cheapest for the requirements in view. Mr. Hindmarsh asked if the gentlemen who bad been named should not make a defonco, if any was required, when the report came up. Tho chairman stated that tho mover had mado certain statements, and he did not think that he could limit Mr. Lundon in reply. Land Can be Drained. Mr. Lundon said that if Mr. Van Staveren had wished to justify the position bo arrogated to himself of being superior to everyone else, he should have morely moved the motion, and then there' would, havo been no suck

discussion. There was a lot of valuable land at the Hutt, which was not in tho drainage area,' but it could bo drained, and this was probably tho most central site in the district that tho board could havo secured. He thought that.it'would bo very easy for the other members referred to to defend their action. Mr. Gardener said that ho could sco no objection to furnishing the information asked for. He thought that tho motion was a very sensible one, and should bo' answered. Mr. R. C. Kirk thought that Mr. Van Staveren should have moved tho motion without discussion, instead of getting up for the express purpose of throwing mud. Was anything ever heard more childish than tho references to other members serving on more committees than Mr. Van Staveren? Ho had not been anxious to buy the land, but. had fallen in with tho wishes of tho board. Ho was quite agreeable to an inquiry as to whether the price was improper at' tho time, or whether any member of tho board had been actuated by improper motives. Mr- Robertson said ho was not in favour of leaving the Hutt land idle, or of building hospitals at tho Hutt when they had one in Wellington. Ho thought that the board should realise on tho land, or make it pay its way. The Mover in Reply. Mr. Van Staveren, in replying, said that he did not envy certain members their position on committees, but tho board could seo the mistako which those members had made. Apparently, when the land fever was on, thoy had caught it very hot themselves. Tho transaction was a very strange ouo to him and to members who wero not connected with Petono or Hutt. He' wanted to know what the land was worth, and what could be dono with it, and if theso men bad made mistakes in the past ho thought that they, should bo put off the Finance Committee—(laughter)—and that no moro business should be dono in a hole-and-corner fashion. Mr. M'Ewen explained that he bad had nothing to do with the purchase; he was not on the Hospital BoaTd at tho time, and cortainly he had received no commission on any sale. Mr. H: Baldwin • stated that, if the drain which the Borough Council was putting down did .the work that was expected of it the value of the property would be increased by 25 per cent, or 30 per cent. The chairman stated that if tho land was sub-let for grazing it would bo liable to rates and taxes, wliich was. not tho caso now. The motion was carried unanimously.