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Hokitika Guardian, 22 November 1917, Page 2

The newly reinforced Charitable Aid Board got down to bed-rock at the first meeting on Tuesday night. The Board was helped to an understanding of the Chairman’s review of the busiuess side of the institutions under control. The report opened with the cheerful intimation that if the receipts and expenditure maintain the present volume, the deficit will a £I,OOO lcs s at the close of the financial year that it was at the commencement. This is some small morcy to be thankful for. In times past it has occurred that though the deficit has been provided for by the levy at the beginning of the year, circumstances' did not permit it to be wiped out, and on occasion it lias jumped to an abnormal amount. The Chairman offered one policy plank—the closing of the Totara hospital—but when it came to the test of a direct vote, the matter wa s deferred sino die. The Chairman was positive the institution could be closed without harm to the service, but in the end gave way on a point of order as to what might be the legal position. The Chairman’s report might have have gone, further into the whole question of hospital administration by determining action in regard to both sides of the financial position. While it might he necessary to restrict expenditure in some directions, there are others wherein additional outlay must be provided for, and to meet that expenditure fairly with regard to tlic rate-payers, there wa s the matter of revenue to be eonsiderd. This brings uj) tho whole question of a reorganisation scheme for the district as the safest and surest method of effecting economy with efficiency.

The Charitable Aid Board can hardly expect to discharge tho responsible duties of re-organisation by a brief month ]y sitting of an hour or two. If the position is to be thoroughly probed, and properly understod, the task must bo taken up systematically, and thoroughly gone into. Local conditions should be investigated and a personal knowledge gleaned of the relative value of all the institutions as part of a complete system necessary to meet the demands of tho district. The four hospital institutions are in the northern end of the district—certainly where the population is chiefly centred. They were brought into existence when the means of communication wore not as ready as at present. Tho larger male population engaged in active work was greater also, another reason for the placing of the institution. As far as the hospitals are concerned, the dlistiiet is well favored, but there is both the necessity of the hospitals to be considered, as well as the ability of the people to adequately support them. At the present moment one doctor only is, available for the. four institutions, which at oncer imperils the need for the country hospitals, seeing that a resident officer is not available. These matters will all come to -mind when analysing a rc-organisation scheme, but it is only one side of the matter. There is still the revenue side to bo considered, and herein particularly ordinary business methods for collecting what is due to tho Board should be applied. The whole question is of the greatest importance to the people from more than one point, of view, and the Hoard should decide on action only after a careful investigation of the whole position.