WAIHI HOSPITAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4707, 4 June 1924, Page 3

WAIHI HOSPITAL.

• —r~ AMALGAMATION WITH THAMES. STATEMENT BY MR. WALLNUTT. The action of the Mayor (Mr W.‘ M. Wallnutt) in interviewing the Di-recto-General of Hospitals (Dr. Valintine) on the question of relief to the Waihi Borough Council in connection with the maintenance of tiie district hospital when in Wellington recently, and his subsequent resolution at the special meeting of the council advocating amalgamation with the Thames Hospital Dsitrict, having been called into question, Mr Wallnutt was asked if he had any statement to make on the matter or in reply .to his critics (states the Telegraph). ACTED BY REQUEST. His Worship’s reply was in the affirmative, and he said:— , "Prior to leaving for Wellington I was well aware that the- matter of the’ annual liability of the Borougn Council in regard to the hospital was likely to be brought forward by the borough treasurer at the special meeting of the council when we returned, and that action would then be taken. Hence, that officer and I- availed ourselves of the opportunity to interview the Director-General of Hospitals to ascertain his views on the subject, and to seek his advice. That advice has been acted upon. The minutes of the board show that on June of last year I was instructed by .the chairman of the board to interview Dr. Valintine when in Wellington in regard to the matter of the extension of the boundaries of the Waihi hospital district. This was done, and 1 reported to the board upon my return that there was no hope of the area being extended, and that the department was strongly ni favour of Waihi amalgamatingwith Thames. •UNJUSTLY ATTACKED. *‘J claim that on this occasion I have been unjustly attacked in the press, and I am prepared to show that our action was fully justified. I would like to. point out that it was not a question, as-alleged, of the secretarj of the board “using , his position as Mayor of the town to wait upon Dr. Valintine” at all, but that it was. a question of the Mayor of the town waiting upon Dr. Valihtine in the interests of the town, and of its ratepayers in particular, as Mayor of the town. My report dealing with the matter#. discussed in Wellington was ‘referred to the special meeting of the council, and materially affected the subject, of the estimates ; therefore it is quite incorrect, to state that any notice of motion was required. Prior to leaving for Wellington it was stated in the “Waihi Telegraph” that.the Mayor,, when in. Wellington, would discuss other matters relative to the business of the hour, including hospital levies, in addition to the question of unemployed. THE COUNCIL’S POSITION. “T. want to emphasise this point, that the position of the Borough Council in the matter of taking whatever steps it deemed necessary, as being the only local contributing body to the hospital under the Act, and having a heavy and altogether. unfair burden placed upon it,- is quite apart from the Hospital Board. The borough, therefore, has the first right of appeal. The principle of the right of appeal, ill regard to the borough’s liability, is set forth in section 44 of the Hospital and Charitable-Institutions Act. We do not say that the expenditure of the hospital board is excessive as implying anything in the way of reckless expenditure, for it compares favourably with other institutions as shown hy the anual return, but as the borough. council is in the unfortunate position pf having to carry the burden as the sole contributory local authority. it must be admitted that the financial load is decidedly excessive, and .is not equalled by any other local authority, because the circumstances which exist here are unique. The borough council’s liability this year, including outstanding levies, amounts to over £3OOO. RATEPAYERS PENALISED. “This position generally has»created penalties on the ratepayers which should not exist, and materially affects the question of the reduction of rates. The annual campaign has grown into a most unpopular movement, paralysing the business of the town for weeks and weeks, and imposing, levies upon a people not in a position to meet them. Protests have been made to me as Mayor of the town against a recurrence of this method of raising money. The period of operations has been described as "a nightmare,” and it is urged that no other district is called upon to adopt such methods. It is nigh time, ihtrefore,. that the borough council took active measures to bring about a change. A BOGEY RAISED. “The bogey has been raised that in the event of amalgamation the people will be called upon to make a sacrifice, when the real position is that they have-been making a sacrifice foi years past. It is. time that was ended. The Director-General of Hospitals assures us that as a result of the amalgamation the institution would not suffer at all in the matter of efficiency or status. Amalgamation, therefore, is the proper course to adopt, and must as a consequence lighten considerably the present burden which the people of this town, in more ways than one, are called upon to beai. I submit, therefore, that in all the circumstances we have acted in a bona fide manner and in the best interests of the town, as the local authority which has to find the money.” jjjfe’s greatest good is not in wealth or fame, Or found in pleasure’s soul-debasing flame: In strength alone we true contentment find— A Healthy Body Brings A Happy Mind. But strength alone cannot alone sustain Our anguished bodies in the hour of "t, pain; For coughs and colds, if we would ease assure, >We all need Woods’ pppperffii&t Cure.