NEW BILLS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3114, 21 June 1881, Page 4

NEW BILLS.

Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill.

This Bill provides for the division of the colony into hospital and charitable aid districts, for bringing hospital and charitable institutions under the Act, for fixing local grants in aid, for determining contributions by local bodies and subscribers, and for establishing boards of management. Local bodies and private subscribers are to have voting powers in the election of boards of management, according to their contributions, five votes being the maximum. Provision is made for the retirement of members, constitution of new districts, establishment of branch hospitals and charitable institutions, and adminstration of charitable relief. The Boards are to bo empowered to appoint and remove all necessary medical officers, secretaries, nurses, attendants, and assistants, and to pay salaries out of funds ; to make contracts by tender where the amount exceeds £20; to acquire and hold real, and personal property, to lease lands—under certain restrictions ; to make by-laws, to sue and be sued. Persons receiving relief are to be liable for the same as a debt if they should be in a position to pay. The Hospitals and Charitable Aid Fund is to consist of Parliamentary grants, contributions for local bodies, private donations and subscriptions, rents and profits of land' or other property, and other moneys received ■under the Act. Out of any sums appropriated by Parliament for the purpose there may be paid a subsidy of £1 per £1 received by the Board in the shape of grants from local bodies, subscriptions, donations, or receipts by the Board other than the proceeds of land and endowments, but the subsidy is in no case to exceed half the annual net cost of maintenance of the institution. Contributions in arrear may be recovered, and local bodies may either pay contributions out of ordinary revenue, or make a special rate oi* levy a poll-tax. The Governor in Council may vest the control of nny hospital or charitable institution in a voluntary association of persons who shall signify their willingness to undei*take thecharge, such association being placed on the same footing as to subsidies, &c, as a board elected in the usual way, but subject to special terms imposed by Order in Council. It is al?o provided that the Governor may from time to time appoint one or more persons as inspector or inspectors of hospitals and charitable institutions under the Act, every such inspector being authorised to visit, without notice, any such institution in the district assigned to him, and he shall also send in an annual report to the Governor on the condition of the several hospitals and obaritable institutions visited by him, and such report shall be laid before Parliament in each session.