Hospital Control

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 January 1917, Page 3

Hospital Control

4 Mr B. 11. Gardener, town clerk of Levin, waited oil the- iHorowhenua County Council! last Saturday, by request of the mayor of Lev;in, toi imti.vmate that the borough council considered the jlooal 'authorities slioiuld hare been consulted before the Government 'took iover absolute oonitlr/ol of the hospital. The present position was that the 'Horowhenua County Council wonlld have to keep on paying the old high levies and. to find matters worse, to 'the extent that the loail representatives would be mere figureheads. He put to the council the fact that the time now was more than ever ripe for a, irenewal of the effort to get a severance of this district from the Wellington hospital. The sanatorium at Otak<i could be takeni over by the Government (as already 'resolved) and the Otafci Hospital coiuld be workel very satisfactorily by this district. If this were done and a proper snpea-visor and icolllector appointed, three times the number of fees now collected could be obtained. Uorowhenua Oounty Council, now waa being asked to supply £350*5' to Wellington Hospital Board, carrying a like subsidy, and would have no say in the ad mmisfara ti on.

• Councillor Monk: We neVer did have. Mr Gardener: We had two representatives. Councillor Monk: But their power was practicalljyi nothing. Continuing, Councillor Monk said ho hadl gathered .from Dr Vailin.tine that the doctor was against severance so far ojs a special distinct for Borowhenuni County was concerned, but he would'be quite willing for this district to join the Palmeirtston North Hospital District if at could be arranged. He believed the Wellington Hospital Board now was favourable to the separation of the county, but Dr Valintine's present position was as MiGardener had .stated. He would now propose that the Horowhenua County Council set up a small committee to meet 'representatives of the Levin Borough Council and discuss, the best menus of obtaining separation .from Wellington Hospital Board.