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Grey River Argus, Volume XVI, Issue 2123, 29 May 1875, Page 2

The action taken by the Provincial Government of Nelson npon the subject of the vote for J250 as the share of that Government of the cost of removing the Grey River Hospital, is most unaccountr

able. We have witnessed many extraordinary proceedings in relation to the Government of the Province of Nelson, but we never came across such an example of either bad faith, or absolute ignorance as that which has just been afforded. It is true that upon the question the Executive divided their votes — two, the Secretary and Solicitor voting on one side, and two, the Treasurer and the nonofficial member, Mr Edwards, on the other, but is it not a most extraordinary thing that upon a vote placed upon its own Estimates the Executive should be divided at all % We never heard of such a thing. It is no uncommon thing when the Legislature has forced a sum upon the Supplementary Estimates for a Government to be'divided in opinion, but it is a very different thing when a Government comes down with prepared Estimates. They are supposed to be, and indeed should be, the calculations of expenditure adopted by the Government as a whole, and as such are regarded by the House. But it is quite without parallel that upon the motion of a private member a Ministry should divide themselves upon their own Estimates. Either their action in placing the item upon the Estimates was right, or it was wrong, but it should have been left to the Council to decide the question, and not to the Speaker, by whose vote or by somebody's vote of one theitemwaslost. In this particular instance the violation of all rules or precedents is made all the greater, because the amount in question was placed upon the estimates of expenditure in pursuance of a promise given by the Superinetndent and the Provincial Secretary that the sum would be forthcoming, and upon which mutual obligations have been incurred. The case is a very simple one, and we are astounded that in view of the facts there could have been a dissentient voice in the Council to the vote. The Grey River Hospital is an institution maintained at the joint expense of the Provincial Governments of Nelson and Westland, and of those of who, in addition to contributing indirectly through their Governments, are willing to contribute d'rpctly by individual subscriptions. The institution is entirely removed from political influence. A central committee composed of citizens who devote much time and trouble to the work, with the assistance of a representative of each contributing Government, to its management. Local committees for collecting public contributions, and having some extent of control in regard to the admission of patients exist in the principal country districts. The Hospital is, and has been, well managed — as well managed as any similar institution in New Zealand. Its benefits are about equally divided between the people of the two Provinces — as a rule the bulk of the patients is derived from Nelson. And hitherto everything has worked smoothly and satisfactory.

A short time ago, when the General Government were proposing to build new premises for the post-office and telegraph office in Greymouth, it was considered that it was possible that an opportunity was thus afforded for doing what had long been thought to be a desirable thing— to establish the Hospital upon a more salubrious site, and to provide extended accommodation. Accordingly a proposal was made to the General Government that it should purchase the buildings on the old site, and in exchange for the site give something towards the cost of erecting the new Hospital buildings. After a long negotiation, which at one time threatened to break clown, an arrangement was come to by which the General Government agreed to pay ,£I2OO for the old buildings and site, the Provincial Governments of Westland and Nelson promised ,£250 each, and a further liability was incurred by the Hospital Committee. The new Hospital has been erected, and is now in efficient working order, and the only sum not paid is that which the Nelson Council declined, upon the motion of Mr Donne, not to pay. Not a single fraction of all the money, or of anything implicated in the removal of the Hospital, has gone elsewhere than to the purposes of the Hospital. Mr Donne says " Westland has realised handsomely by surrendering the site to the General Government, and could well afford " &c. Mr Donne ought not to have brought forward his motion without knowing the facts. The Hospital Reserve did not belong to "Westland" in any sense further than it was a site granted by the Native Trust for Hospital purposes, and has been replaced by a site granted by the Westland Government, and in each case for a hospital the benefits of which are equally shared by the two Provinces. But Mr Donne has no soul above shows ; as a hawker of marionettes or anything of the same kind he may be invaluable, but upon anything else he is profoundly ignorant. But how could Mr Ivess, who does know, support such a motion 1 Mr Sheppard will vote for or against anything, just as it suits him ; like an illustrious individual, of many centuries ago, who was a more eminent Treasurer even than himself, he is not particular which side he takes, and on this occasion he assisted the Provincial Executive in a dodge which has not been unfamiliar to him. Mr Edwards most probably voted in ignorance of the facts of the case.

It is satisfactory to find that with the exception of Mr Ivess, the Gold-fields members supported the vote, and it is to be hoped that the Council will, after the explanations that have been since given, replace the same on the estimates and vote the money. This is not a question of whether this or that Province benefits, it is a question of the improvement and maintenance of one of the most necessary and humane institutions, the demands upon which are constant and increasing.