PAEROA HOSPITAL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5364, 14 December 1928, Page 2

PAEROA HOSPITAL

MAYOR’S POSITION EXPLAINED. STATEMENT IN COUNCIL. At the Paeroa Bqrough Council meeting last night Cr. H. J. Hare said that it seemed to him. after, reading the newspaper reports, as though tne chairman of the Hospital Board had made Mr Marshall a scapegoat fqr the failure to answer, the Director-Gen-eral’s letters. In other words, the alleged failure of Mr Marshall to meet the board had been made an ex cuse to block a definite reply to the request of the Director-GeneraL He thought the position most-unfair, and wquld like to hear what Mr Marshall had to say in rebutment. Replying to Cr, Hare, the Mayor, detailed at some length the reaisqn that prompted him to offer to meet the boar.! at its November meeting, with the idea qf smoothing out the disputed points. He especially journeyed to Kopuarahi to discuss the matter with Mr Hale (chairman <f the board) on the day before the board’s November meeting, and after endeavouring to pave the way for an amicable settlement of the dispute was assured of a fair, hearing from members qf the board at its next day’s meeting, “However, a little further talking with members the next morning,” said Mr Marshall, “convinced me that a journey to Thames wo,uld' simply have been a waste of time, and I asked Mr Brenan to convey this view tq Mr Hale. I now' know that Mr Brenan did this, although the chairman did not see fit to make this explanation public.” After detailing further, points in this connection Mr Marshal} assured the meeting, that the matter was well in hand, as certain late correspondence, open to members qf the council, would show. “I have moved in the ■matter,” he added, “and have no fear as to whether the hospital will be built,”

Elaborating this pbint, Mr Marshall indicated that he had sqjid reasons for believing that the project for. a hospital at Paeroa would not be hampered and was certain of establish-; went.