HOSPITAL FOR PAEROA.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5049, 8 November 1926, Page 3

HOSPITAL FOR PAEROA.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER.

PROMISE TO BE RESPECTED.

On Friday Last a deputation consisting of His Worship the Mayor (Mr W. Marhsall) and Messrs E. W. Porrit.t, R. W. Evans (ex-trustees to the Ohinemuri Hospital Fund 1 ), P. E. Brenan, and W. D. Nicholas (extrustees to the Nurse Pennell Memorial Fund) journeyed to Hamilton as, a deputation to wait on the Horn Minister of Public Health (Mr A. J. Young) and lay beifore him the attitudes taken up by the Tahmes Hospital Board with reference to the building tJf the proposed maternity hospital in Paeroa. The deputation was mat and introduced to .the Minister by Mr A. M. Samuel, member for Ohinemuri.

Mr Marshall submitted the following particulars, which had been signed by the members of the deputation and by Mrs E. W. Porritt, president of the Hauraki Comforts Committee :—

“For a long time the people of Paeroa and district have contemplated the erection of a small hospital Many years ago a, considerable sum of money was voluntarily subscribed 1 for this purpose, and in 1897 (29 years ago) the funds so raised were formally vested in trustees, who became known as ‘The Ohinemuri Hospital Fund Trustees.’ In the course of. time this fund materially increased, and certain landsi were purchased for ai hospital site;, Subsequently section 9, 10, 31, and 30, Block II.; tioWn of Paeroa, containing an area of 1 rood 18 perches, were porclaimed a hospital reserve (vide . N.Z. Gazette, 1914, page 911). Later, sections 11, 12, 13, and 14, of ah equal area and adjoining the first-mentioned, were similarly dealt with (vide N.Z. Gazette, 1914, page 3779). “Early in 1919 a movement was commenced in Paeroa to raise a memorial to the late Nurse Pennell, who gave her life through nursing in the Native camp at Narrow Neck during the great epidemic, and who will long be remembered in the district for her unselfish devotion to maternity work.

“Iti was considered by the; subscribers that this would best take* the form of assistance towards the erection and equipment of a maternity home in Paeroa. This led to a definite effort being made in this direction, commencing in October, 1919. “At the request of the Hospital Board a conference was held in Paeroa in February, 1920, comprised of the members of the Thames Hospital Board; Paeroa. Hospital Trustees, Nurse Pennell Memorial Trustees, the Hauraki . Comforts Committee, the Ohinemuri County Council, and the Paeroa Borough' Council

“The result off this conference was that all the parties interested agreed to hand over all their assets to the Thames Hospital Board: provided a hospital was erected to consist of six beds for maternity patients and two for emergency cases.

“Ip December, 1920, an application for its erection was duly forwarded to the Hon. Minister df Public Health. Intimation of the approval of the Minister was forwarded on December 24, 1920.

“Writing to the Thames Hospital Board on December 6, 1920, Dr. VaJintine said: ‘To complete a suitable hospital site I suggest that sections 3 to 8, Block IL, and sections 3 and 34; Block B, be also, acquired and the adjoining portions of the roads be closed : the whole to be transferred to your board. This would make, an admirable site for a' hospital.’

“The however, proved considerable and expensive, including special legislation with reference to the closing of streets and Supreme Court proceedings to enable the Ohinemuri hospital trustees to! hand over their trust to the Thames Hospital Board. “However, early in 1924 there was completed a scheme, drawn up by the solicitors to the Hospital Board and the solicitors to the Ohinemuri hospital trustees, for the transfer of, the assets and responsibilities of the Ohinemuri hospital trustees to the Thames Hospital: Board. An area .of 3 acres 3 roods 27 perches, of a capital value of £2565 ,became vested in the Thames Hospital Board. There was also handed over £350 from the Nurse Pennell. Memorial) Fund and £259 2s 5d from the Hauraki Comforts Committee Fund.

Notice; of intention to levy a rate to produce £l5OO for the yean 1925-26 and £l5OO in 1926-27 to provide the total required capital levy contribution from the district was issued by the Thames Hospital Board on February 3, 1925.

“Plans, were! approved, and a few months later alternative tenders in brick and wood were called, and in August, 1925, the Thames Hospital Board recommended to the Minister the acceptance of a tejider. The department asked for the acceptance of the tender in brick, and the matter was held up. Since that date portion of the subsidy paid has beQn refunded and modified, plans have been prepared by the department. “The position to-day after these years of effort and liberal assistance from the people of our portion of the district, is that the board is holding vacant and useless nearly fdur acres of valuable land in the Borough of Paeroa ; ..aso £3so' from the Nurse Pennell Fund and £259 2s r 'sd from the Hauraki Comforts together with the Government subsidies paid thereon, and 75 per cent, of the capital levy, half of which was colected last year and the balance is being paid this, year. “The transfer of the Ohtoemuri Hospital Trust was the subject of an order of the Supreme Court under the hand of Mr Justice Stringer dated February 18, 1924, a copy of which is attached hereto. You will see that it contains the following clause: ‘(a) That the said board shall erect on the land forming the real property held by the trustees a maternity home containing six beds and a casualty ward containing two beds, and the balance of all moneys and personal property shall be applied towards the

erection and equipment of the said maternity home and casualty ward and towards the maintenance of such maternity home and warid as aforesaid.’

“We have; formally requested the bcfard to discharge, its trust obligations.

“Your predecessor ahd yourself have in the past assured us that this hospital would be built. We; weife told by the Department of Health and by the Thames Hospital Board that if we did certain things this hospital would be erected. We have done all .that was asked, the department has paid its subsidy, the capital levy is almost entirely collected, and the matter is hung up on .the casting vote of the chairman of the board. "All the members of this deputation to-day are busy men. We have made this journey and make these representations in the interest of public health. We could stress the need by numerous incidents, which appeal strongly to every human instinct, but we submit that the- sustained efforts of many years by our people and the financial contribution which they are making are sufficient indication of the existence of a real nee,d. We respectively but definitely ask that as head of this important department you will see that this proposal is speedily cdnsummated, and that the valuable property and substantial funds, now held by the Thames Hospital Board are used at an early date for the purpose for which they were placed in the hands of the board. “We submit that our claim is unanswerable : that the decision having been reached .and the necessary financial arrangements having been made, we are justified in asking the department toi forthwith take whatever measures may be necessary to bring to an end the present most unsatisfactory position.’’

In outlining the .history of the movement from its inauguration Mr Pdrritt said that provision for the future erection of a hospital in the County of Ohinemuri was commenced in 1897, and in December, 1897, £209 was raised by subscriptions and otnerwise, and was vested in trustees for the purpose of providing a separate institution. In September, 1913, this amount had been increased to £897 8s 9d, and sections 1 to 8, Block 111., Paeroa, were reserved for a hospital site. In January, 1916, the* trustees acquired by purchase sections 9 aiid 10; in May, 1922, sections 3 and 8; and in February, 1923, sectiohsi 2 and 3, for the; purpose; of increasing the area of the original reserve. lin 1923 the fund was, £1624 10s 9d, including the sections purchased, and after borough rates, fire insurance, and all other expenses had been paid. The hospital and Charitable Aid Act, 1908, repealed the provisions of the 1885 Act in regard to separate institutions, said Mr Porritt, and by sections 48 to 75 made further provisions for the establishment of such institutions. The Act of 1909 repealed the 1908 Act and dissolved separate institutions arid made no provision for future establishment, but section 61 gave hospital boards power to establish branch hospitals and maternity homes.

The trustees, with the Thames Hospital Board and Dr. VaHntine, inspected the land, and Dr, Valintine approved thq site if the area would be increased to provide for future requirements.. There was an additional area reserved in 1914 for hospital purposes. The Paeroa Borough which, it was understood, owned the reserve, agreed to throw these sections in for the purpose of incteasing the area and to close portions o® three streets and include them in the hospital area to make all the sections contiguous and to still further increase the area. . Continuing, Mr Porritt aaidi that as the alteration in the law rendered it impossible for the trustees to carry out their trust, an application was made, .to the Supreme Court, with the sanction of the Attorney-General, for the transfer of the trust to the Thames Hospital Board to carry out under its statutory powers. The, order was made oh December 18, 1923, and the trustees transferred the fund and all their land to the board. The Borough Council took steps to have the reserve handed over, and closed the three streets and had the closed portions vested in the board. Everything had been carried out to the full extent, and in addition the Hauraki District Comforts Fund of £259 2s 5dJ and the Nurse. Pennell. Memorial Fund of £350 had been handed over to the board. The board had had the use of the moneys for the past two years, but had hung matters up unreasonably.

Thq trustees, had transferred their titles to the board in June, 1924, and section 75 of The Reserves and (Other Lands Disposal Act, 1924/, authorised the issue of a certificate' of title to the' board for the hospital reserve and the portions of .the closed streets, and the Paeroa Boro'ugh' Council had certain -adjoining private land vested in the board in exchange for portion of its closed streets, so everything was in order a,s regarded the site, which was now in accord: with. Dr. Valintine’s requirements, and there wasi no apparent reason why the board had not erected the building. In reply to a question from the Minister Mr P. E. Brenan said th'at the Hospital Board held, ; with the Government subsidies, approximately £6OOO in cash, besides land valued at £2500.

The Minister thanked the deputation for putting the position in such a concise manner. So far as! the department w'as concerned, he said, it looked upon the erection, of the maternity wards as something for the benefit o'f the community. The matter was not altogether new to him, and what promises had been made by his pre,desessors in office he assiurjed the deputation would be kept. Dr. Valintine was strongly in favour of erecting the hospital in brick. He was spmewh.at impressed with the resolution passed at .the last meeting of the Thames Hospital Board, particularly owing to the. stringency of. the money market at the present time. Tn view of that he was quite, agreeable to giving the board .a little breathing space,

but he was not going back on what on what had been promised and agreed upon. It was the business of the board to erect the building, and the department would act reasonably towards the board, but if it found that the board was not doing the fair thing it would have to act. He assured the deputation that the matter would have his very careful consideration and .attention.

In .thanking the Minister for his patient hearing Mr Marshall said that they would await the decision and action of Mr Young with' every confidence.