CORRESPONDENCE HOSPITALS OR BREWERIES

Hokitika Guardian, 13 March 1922, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE

HOSPITALS OR BREWERIES

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Your report of the last meeting of the Borough Council says that they have resolved to charge Is (id per 1001) gallons for water for Hospital purposes and Is for Breweries. Assuming that the whole water supply cost twenty thousand pounds Is Gd will give 19.2 per cent on the cost, while anything over 8 per cent for a public utility may lie considered an extortion. While in a way we value the economy and care of our finances, exercised by our City Fathers, this proposal and others make us ashamed of our (municipal) parenthood, and wo feel that they have so many wheels in their head, they should not let them go round when the .Mayor, the balance wheal, i. not present. Water at Is Gd per 1000, will cost the Westland Hospital £2-57 a, year and Councillors have shown a singular lack of intelligence in forgetting that within the last year £2o-j5 has been given to the Westland Hospital by way of voluntary contribution, and no surer way of stopping this! healthy fibw of funds can be found than for public men to shew that tlicv consider the institution one from which to extract all the money possible. Surely Councillors will reconsider their proposal. If not, we should prepare a Biblica Satlianicai for our museum and put their names in it for future generations to wonder if a ibody of men in 1922 who were enttrusted with the public necessities woufd charge' a shilling for water to wash beer barrels hut eighteenpence for Water to wash the sick or afflicted. — I a m etc., R. WILD.