PALMERSTON HOSPITAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1092, 3 May 1913, Page 3

PALMERSTON HOSPITAL.

QUESTION OF REPRESENTATION. .

A deputation from the Palmerston North Hospital and Charitable Aid Board waited on the Minister of Public Health yesterday afternoon to protest against the reduction ot members of the Board from fifteen to ten. The deputation consisted of Messrs J. A. Nash, J, Vincent, J. K. Horn blow and W. Stubbs (secretary of the Board). Mr D. Buick, M.P., indroduced the deputation. Mr J. A. Nash said the members of the Board felt that they had a very strong grievance in connection with this matter. They had hitherto enjoyed the privilege of having fifteen representatives on the Board.: A proposal was submitted to the Board some considerable time ago suggesting that the number should be reduced. They did not think that was reasonable. The question of the expenses of members was hardly worth considering. The amount saved iu expenses by the reduction in the number of members would only amount per annum. Last year the amount of money dealt with by the Board amounted to some ,£16,000 or The Board ffelt. that there was wisdom in numbers. The board , and local bodies which found the money were unanimously against the reduction, and desired the Minister to reconsider the decision he had arrived at. Mr Vincent said the county ratepayers felt very uneasy at the reduction in representation. The valuation of the different counties was going up, population was increasing, and expenditure in connection with the Hospital Board was also increasing. This being so, they could not understand why there should be a reduction in representation. Mr Hornblow said he could not understand how the InspectorGeneral justified the reduction in membership. Certainly it could not be justified on the grounds of economy. The district was extensive and very closely settled. Two members were now allotted an area of 360 square miles as against three before the reduction took place. Instead of effecting economy, the reduction iu membership would entail increased expenditure, for it would necessitate visits to different parts of the district by officers of the board at a cost much greater than the ,£ll which the reduction would save over the district as a whole. Another point was that the loss of a member by the southern country district meant that lots would have to be drawn to decide which of the three present members should retire. This might mean loss of the services of Mr Wilson, chairman of the Board, whose retirement would be a loss, not only • to his own district, but to the Dominion. It might be said that the Board should decline to sacrifice its chairman, but each of the three members concerned had to consider that he had been returned to represent his electors for a period of three years, of which eighteen months had still to run. The Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes pointed out that the means of communication were better now than when the Board was first constituted, and the district was not a large one for ten members to look after. Looking at it from that point of view, and more particularly from the point of view of economy, it was deemed advisable to reduce the Board. Almost throughout the Dominion the membership of Boards was too high.. However, he wished ot meet the wishes of the Board and the district as far as he could, and for that reason be was prepared to reconsider the question of the number of members. He said he recognised that the affairs of the Palmerston Hospital were managed in a very efficient manner. He would endeavour to meet the deputation in the request they had made.

Hr D. Buick, M.P., thanked the Minister for his courtesy.