WAIKATO HOSPITAL BOARD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 487, 31 July 1912, Page 6

WAIKATO HOSPITAL BOARD.

KING COUNTRY NEEDS. SUGGESTED SEVERANCE. The question of the constitution of the King Country as a separate hospital district has been engaging the attention of local body men and settlers of the King Country for some time, and discussion on the question arose at the meeting of the Waikato Hospital Board on Thursday, when a letter was read from the Owhanga Settlers' Association, asking the board to consider the establishment of a cottage hospital in the town of Owhanga. Such an institution, the letter stated, would provide for about 600 people, 200 of whom were sawmill hands. The town of Owhango was situated 18 miles south of Taumarunui, but the roads leadiing from the township, were almost impassable, and as serious accidents often occurred in the bush and bush mills, it was absoutely necessary to have assistance easily available. The assocaition offered to subsidise to any amount. There was no residence in the place suitable for the accommodation of a nurse, the letter went on, but several residents were willing to erect a suitable building. . Mr Kay moved that a nurse be immediately appointed to the district pending enquiries into the special circumstances.

Mr Keuley said the question of appointing nurse and erecting cottage hospitals in back districts, was becoming more every day. The more the board gave in this respect the more, apparently, it would have to give. The King Country was a district which, he thought, required Bpecial administration. The board should go right into the matter, as | the requirements of the King Country would never be satisfied. Continual fault was being found with the Waikato Board by the districts in the King Country, and now that a new Government was in office, the settlers in the King Country should endeavour to have their district constituted a separate hospital district. From press reports the people of the King Country apparently sought this, and the board should proceed to immediately inquire into the quesiton. Mr Shaw, Kawhia, resented the remarks of Mr Kceley, that only fault was found with the board by the King Country districts. He thought, however, that the applications which came before the board should receive due consideration, and should not be refused without a discussion of their merits. | Mr Boddie said the time was undoubtedly coming when the question of an equitable subdivision of the Waikato hospital district would have to he considered. Mr Johnstone said that apparently the applicants wer* chiefly mill hands, and there was probably no one more able to contribute to the hospital upkeep than the working man of to-day.

When a similar application was received from the Tokaanui Settlers' Association it was decided to deal with the application on its merits. This application should be treated in a similar manner.

The chairman, Mr J. P. Bailey, considersd the whole question should be gone into very carefully. There was one aspect of the question which, if a separate district was decided on, would have to be considered, and that was the smaliness of the revenue which the King Country would derive for the upkeep of a hospital. Mr Chepmell said the King Country waß unique in the whole of the Dominion. Its case was a special one and it should have special assistance from the Government, while special legislation should be passed to deal with its requirements. Mr J. A. Young, M.P., suggested that Messrs Kay and Boddie should go right through the southern end of the district and present a comprehensive report on the existing conditions. Before any action was taken in regard to a severance of the King Country, they should get full information on all questions. From reports which had appeared in the papers, certain local bodies in the King Country were hostile to the Waikato Board, and it was necessary tu get further information of the exact nature of things before proceeding further. On the motion of Mr Kay it was decided that Mr Boddie and himself visit and prepare a report on the districts they represent.

Mr Keeley moved that representations be made to the Government to take steps to make special provision for the maintenance of the King Country as a separate district, and that a committee be set up to collect data.

The motion was seconded by Mr Chepmell. Mr Eoddie suggested that tha motion should be withdrawn in the meantime to give the local bodies concerned' an opportunity of discussing facts and figures. Mr Johnstone supported the motion, as, he said, there was apparently a good deal of dissatisfaction with the Waikato Board. Mr Shaw pointed out that the complaints placed before the meeting were made at a meeting of delegates of local bodies, of which he knew nothing. The utterances of the chairman of the Waitomo County Council were only the statements of one man, and there was no reason why the whole district should be condemned for his remarks.

Sir Teasdale opposed the motion, thinking it would be a mistake to saver the district. Mr Keeley said the motion was merely a preliminary to what was to follow. It would afford the persons who complained of taking the administration of their district into hand themselves. Mr Chepmell said the motion did not propose to cut these people adrift, but

Mr Young moved as an amendment that the board take steps for the collection of data for the purpose of bringing about a re-arrangement of the hospital boundaries. On being put both motion and amendment wre lost and the discussion here ended.

COUNTY CHAIRMAN'S VIEWS. When seen by a Chronicle representative regarding the reference to his attitude on the subject of the Hospital Board, Mr A. Scholes, chairman of the Waitotno County Council, said he had never given any public expression of opinion concerning hospital matters, other than what he had said at his own Council table. He had no fault to find with the board in any way, and had j never heard any complaints concerning it. At the same time there could be no doubt the King Country was in need of better facilities, and with expanding settlement this need would increase. The increasing needs of the district in all respects were well recognised, and he was of opinion that tne solution of the difficulty with respect to hospital matters lay in the petting up of a new district. It was probably not possible to do so in the immediate future, and the wishes of a huge district, had to bo considered. This was merely his personal opinion, and implicated nobody else. He thought the matter could best be discussed at a conference of a Backblocks Local Bodies' Association, which it was proposed to establish. The discussion which took placa at the last Hospital Board meeting clearly showed that he was not alone in his opinion on the matter. He wished it to be clearlv understood that in holding this opinion he in nowise reflected on the administration of the board. The conditions arose through circumstances over which nobody had control.