"ARBITRARY POWER."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1168, 1 July 1911, Page 7

"ARBITRARY POWER."

• HOSPITAL FINANCE, DE. VALINTINE AND TIMAEU. After tho Hospital Conference had run its course very peacefully until the eleventh hour, tho surface of affairs was slightly rippled yesterday morning a brief-passage at arms occurred in which the principal actors wero Dr. Valintine (Inspector-Genera!) raid Mr. W. S. Maslin, a delegate from South Canterbury. I roceeding from a statement that no Department should havo power to withhold subsidies voted bj; Parliament, Mr. Maslin. moved that the conference disapprove the powers of controlling hospital board subsidies vested in the Minister under tho Hospitals Act. Section 38 of this measure, Mr. Maslin remarked, provided for tho payment .of subsidies in "such sums . • as the Minister thinks sufficient,": while Section 77, 'where a board failed to perform its duty or "has done, or intends to do, any illegal act," gavo power to the Governor-in-Council— another name for tho Inspector-G eneral-(laughter)-to recommend the "Minister to withhold the wholo or any part of the .subsidy," and "to direct or otherwise the Inspector-Gencral to do, or cau'so to be done . . . .any act which the board ought to do." Arbitrary Power?? "Our finance rests absolute ■/ on the will of our friend there," declarod Mr. Maslin, indicating Dr. Valintine. "I don't say that ho would act in an arbitrary manner, but ho should not have the power to do so." Dr. Valintine: Have I abused my powers? v Mr.- Maslin:- Do you-want me to go into particulars? Mr. Gillingham (South Canterbury), in seconding tho motion, pointed, out the the wordsr'intends- to do;" in Seetidn 77 of the Act. \ How. couid the Government .know what a local body, intended to do? : Dr. Valintine: "It might intend to srect an unnecessary institution." ■ Rising to put his side of the case, Dr. Valintino stated that a certain amount of feeling had..becn„caused in South Canterbury Over a subsidy to which, in the speaker's opinion and in the opinion of the Auditor-General and .tho SolicitorGeneral, they were not entitled. -.If was

an extraordinary fact, continued the In-spector-General, that most respectable citizens who showed, in tic conduct of their private affairs, .the-utmost integrity, when it came- to a question of Government, subsidy did not observe those little niceties that they observed in the conduct of their own private business. ' It was for this reason that discretionary powers were vested in, the Minister. Dr. Valintine asked leave to quote a fewcases. A very well r known firm intimated to a hospital board which wanted certain' things that they would provide the things at.a certain price. Mr. Maslin: Not South Canterbury Dr. Valintine said it was not South Canterbury. The firm offered to supply the goods at full price, but added that, if theso goods were taken, they would make the board a substantial donation, so that the board might take tho Government down for the subsidy! The Government, continued Dr. Valintine; was being taken down all along the lino over this 245. subsidy. \ South Canterbury had applied for a subsidy to which they were not entitled. Jt was tho duty of the speaker to look after the funds-of the country.

■Mr. Maslin: You may inako" mistakes.

'On Making Mistakes, Dr. Valintine remarked cordially that ho made his full share of mistakes. Perhaps very few men made more. He often wondered that, he did not make more than ho did. ...,-■■.

Mr. Gillinghara asked whether tho matter of the South Canterbury, sitbsidy was one of Dr. Valintine's mistakes? Dr. Valintine; No. Mi. Maslin, -in ;replying;,.gave' some parfcculars of -the -subsidy claim to whichDr. \alintine had alluded. More than two years. previously a. sum of about -£200 had been collected for the benefit' of a woman and children left destitute. The co'm'miVtce-'which "raised : "the "money' ultimately handed it over., unconditionally to the-.Timafu Board.' ; It-was embodied* in the., ordinary-way/in a general-ac-count; • Subsequently •' the"' -board '' pur-chased'a.noiiso-for the' woman and children in question, at a cost of between ,£loo' and .£500?/After 'a' lapse "'of neatly two years, tho'Department notified that-the subsidy - originally paid would be withdrawn, as the' expenditure in question had been-illegally made''for the benefit of particular persons. -A sum of. £100 was deducted accordingly from ; current payments .to -tho -board.- Dr.' Valintina had assured the speaker that, had ho known the facts, he would not'have withdrawn ■ the - subsidy. Dr. Valintine had also said that tho-amonnt-wouldbe paid now but for.the fact that it could not ; bo done without a lot of red fano and trouble. .-'"'■• •' Tempted \From the Path. - After some further discussion, Dr. Valintine remarked that if tho South Canterbury Board had been content frith the ordinary.-i; for £ subsidy on caoital expenditure,', this trouble would riot have arisen. It was tho 245. ■ subsidy.'■ the dif-' ference of a miserable 45., that bad temDted South Canterbury from the straight ..path. . -." .-

Mr.- Maslin's. motion, of pretest against tho Minister's ;discretionary power.'over (tnbsidies was defeated .by a ..substantial majority.-.' .•:-,. •: " ....