PAEROA HOSPITAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5313, 15 August 1928, Page 2

PAEROA HOSPITAL.

PLANS FORWARDED.

BOARD DISCLAIMS LIABILITY.

At Monday’s meeting of .the Thame 3 Hospital .Board the question of establishing a maternity and casualty hospital at Paeroa was .advanced a further stage by the Director-General qf Health (DU. T. H. A- Valintine) forwarding the Minister’s consent .tq the erection of the Paeroa hospital accompanied by a plan and specifications, the estimated cost being £6OOO. The Director-General wrote that the Public Works Department had been asked! to call tenders fey this work, and the Order-in-Council was being sent forward for. signature authorising the Work to be undertaken a.t the board’s expense. He hoped! that as. the progress payments became due .the board would honour the Public Works Department’s certificate for the sum, and thus prevent the unpleasantness of further steps having tq be taken to recover the amount from the board. He desired to know that the board had agreed to meet the progress payments as they became due.

The deputy-chairman (Mr J. AV. Dauby) moved : “It being the considered judgment of the Thames Hospital Board that the present is not ap opportune time to, proceed with the building, of a hospital at Paer.oa, this board has no, comment to make on the plans, and. specifications submitted by the Director-General of Health and respectfully returns same.” Seconded by Mr J. AV. Lange.

Mr Brenan pointed out that the resolution did not deal -.with the progress payments asked' fo,n by the department. The chairman- said that the money was held in trust, and if the DirectorGeneral demanded tlie money—£7Boo —the board had iio option but to, pay over the funds at present held! in trust for the Paeroa hospital. To Mr. C. AV. Kennedy, the chairman said that the question of the disposal of the balance of trust moneys wo t uld be considered later. There were no direct donqrs, but there were trustees and executors. If the demands wer'emade on the b’oa.rjii and the- Government desired ,the. money and the board paid it over, the: board’s responsibility would cease.

1 Mr Kennedy said he could see that | nothing could be gained by the resc.I lution. The money was held in trust, ! and the board could riot de'clihe- to pay over the £7Boo', so what was. the position. j The chairman sa.’dj that there was i nothing complicated about the matter, i The board had been asked to pay out I £6OOO. and it would do so from the trust money now held. ' Mr, Brenan said that he would not support the resolution ; yet, he realised that it would be. futile to move an amendment. The plans were no,t tho sa.me as the original, but, being in the minority, it would be useless moving all amendment. He questioned the need for returning, the plans to the ! department, because on account of some qf the members naving an interest in the building it would be. very awkward if there were no plans aril specifications for reference.

The chairman said that if lie consulted. his own feelings he would return the plans in to t to. However,, he did not wish to penalise any member. The resolution was then altered by deleting the tlie words “and respectfully return same,” and on being put to the meeting was carried. Messrs Brenan, -IRqbinson, and Kennedy recording their votes against it. At the. conclusion of the discussion Mi; Brenan asked that he be allowed to take the plan and specifications to Paeroa. -*■ In granting the request the chaircan said the board' would 'hold Mr Brenan responsible for them.