NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2419, 26 March 1915, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

The proceedings of the Hospital Board aro hardly of a nature to inspire ivhole-heartcd confidence in that body as at present constituted. It isnow apparent that without any public discission whatever the Board completed arrangements to purchaso a dairy farm at a costso it has been stated—of £9000. Fortunately the law made it necessary to obtain the consent of the Minister before closing the transaction. Had it not been for this provision the.-e is every reason to believe that the ratepayeis would have been saddled with this extra liability without having had any information as to its merits placed before them. The Minister has very properly withheld his consent from this transaction, The Act shows that it was clearly the intention of the Legislature that the local bodies who have to find the money for hospital expenditure should be in a position to object to extravagant and wasteful projects. The Board, for some reason, is reluctant to bring its proposal out into tho daylight. It has endeavoured since its first rebuff by the Minister to persuade him that it is under no legal obligation to "acquaint the local bodies on matters of policy." If such methods as these are to prevail on the Hospital Board, tho local bodies will do well to scan next year's estimates with more than customary clostness.

Despite the disappearance of the German commerce raiders in the outer seas, there is no decline in ocean freight rates. This morning another substantial rise in the rates from Britain to New Zealand is chronicled. This is the third increase since the war opened, and may in part be taken as a result of German submarine warfare. There have been many causes, however, making for high freight rates. Over 600 of the world's best cargo-carry-ing boats have been requisitioned by the British and French Governments, and more will no doubt be required _ for the transport of the force which, it is stated, is being concentrated in Northern Africa for land operations in - Turkey. Throughout the war the German and Austrian mercantile fleets, representing at least 5,000,000 tonp, have been idle. A vastly greater quantity of grain than usual _ had to be carried across the Atlantic this 'year, and much tonnage was absorbed in the work. Apart , altogether from German naval activity, high freights are likely to rulo for some time yet.

The Harbour Board is a body of presumably intelligent business men, and when it adopts a proposal by eleven votes to two some clear public benefit should be discernible. We must confess, however, that we cannot see how the public will gain anything by the construction of a waterworks by the Harbour Board. The complaint seems to b3 that the city charges the Board ss. per 1000 gallons for water while selling the same quantity to suburban boroughs for ninepence. This represents an overcharge of 550 per cent, if the cost is the same in both cases. The Board's propossd remedy is to bring in its own supply of water from some unspecified locality. We have a bald statement by Captain Watson that this will cost £60,000. The annual charges, he tells as, would be £5500, as against the £6739 paid out last year to the City Council. This shows a saving of 18 per cent, on the water cost. Add, say, the inevitable fifty per cent, on to the promoter's estimate of the cost of his schemc, and water will be selling on the wharves not at 5s per 1000 gallons, but more I probably at 7s. 6d. If the object is to bring the City Council to its knees is not the bluff just a little bit too transparent?

It has taken Mr. Hindmarsh a long time to discover that the finances of the Harbour Board would be none the worse for investigation by a permanent finance committee. Now that the suggestion has been made, it should commond itself to everybody. The figures show that the Board's expenditure could do with strict supervision. It has had the bit between its teeth for some years past, and has been going ahead at at hard gallop. It is to bo hoped that the matter will not be allowed to dron, but that, a committee will bs set up after tho coming election.