WHOSE LIABILITY?

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 287, 23 August 1918, Page 4

WHOSE LIABILITY?

HAWERA V. WELLINGTON CHAR-IT-ABLE AID BOARD.

"That the board express its profound disapproval of the course adopted by the Hawera Hospital and Charitable Aid Board in connection with the committal of a certain child, referred to in the latter board's letter of August 3, whereby the liability for the maintenance of the said child was inequitably imposed upon the Wellington hospital district,, was a clause in the Charitable Aid Committee's report presented to the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board held yesterday. This was apropos of a. case in which a Hawera girl came to Wellington with her baby and became a burden on the board. The Hawera Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was written to, but repudiated the liability. % During the discussion at yesterday's meeting' the Rev. H. van Staveren said that it was intolerable if one board could foist its burdens upon another, as was being done in this case. The Hawera Board should be made to pay tor tho maintenance of this child. Tt was a Hawera girl and a Hawera baby, and the expense was rightly one that the Hawera Board should boar. He moved that the case should be laid before tho Minister of Public Health, as there was a very important principle involved which might cost the Wellington Board a lot of nionev in time, and they cmUd not afford to bear the burdens of other boards as well as their own. The chairman (Mr. H. Baldwin) said that the only argument thai.could I W used against them (Hie Wellington Board) was that the girl was domiciled hero when the application was iirst maae °Dr.°.L Kennedy Elliott asked whether the matter could not be adjusted through their legal adviser. If not he would swmid Mr. van Staveren s motion Mr John Smith raid that he thought ilie Hawera Board should be severely censured, as there was a distinct attempt on their part to evade n liability which had been thrust, upon them, lo show the board Unit they had not treated tho girl badlv there was an account, for .£5 which had been paid for hor-for two weeks' board. They had paid that much so that ehe could live in a decent place away from temptation. The motion to refer the mailer to tho Minister was unanimously agreed to.