REMARKS RESENTED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3845, 15 September 1928, Page 3

REMARKS RESENTED.

—r ♦ HOSPITAL BOARD INDIGNANT. BOROUGH COUNCIL’S CRITICISM (Palmerston Standard.) The attitude of the Palmerston North Borough Council in regard to the Hospital Board’s proposal to . extend its farm at Awapuni by purchasing an additional 108 acres was the subject of considerable discussion at the monthly meeting of the latter body on Thursday afternoon, it finally being decided to advise the council that the board was unwilling to discuss the matter any further and was going on with the scheme. In its advice the council stated that it w r ould be pleased to meet a special committee of the board to fully discuss the proposal in order to obtain further particulars concerning the acquisition of the land. .To this, Sir James Wilson, chairman of the board, reported, he had sent a letter saying that the board had been under the impression that it had supplied sufficient reasons for the purchase,' but that, if the council desired to know anything further, it should indicate to the board the direction of the enquiries. Replying, the Mayor had forwarded the following questions as to the information desired by councillors: (1) Total area of land used for farming operations; the number of men employed and the amount of wages paid in connection therewith; (2) the quantity of produce and the milk produced from the farm, and what pr*iee charged to the Hospital; (3) price per gallon which the board could obtain supplies from local milk suppliers; (4) total daily requirements for the Hospital; (5) how many head could be grazed on the 108 acres? “I don’t for the life of me,” said Sir James, “see why we should be asked to do this, but our position is so strong and clear that the information should be given to them at once. I would like the meeting to go into committee so that I can place figures before you.” Mr. J. K. Hornblow: I object to our going into committee; we can take the figures afterwards. I think that the time has arrived when the mustard gas business of the Palmerston North Borough Council should be stopped. Personally, I have had enough of it, and I am satisfied that everyone on this board desires it to be known that w'e possess powers and responsibilities as a corporate body equal to those of the Borough Council or any other contributing body. I object to being a party to a questionnaire from the Borough Council, which should be the last to “throw off” the criticism they have been indulging in, seeing that Palmerston North has been deriving such a benefit from the capable administration of the institution. I

object to giving any information of the nature asked or to our meeting the Borough Council. We are re- . sponsible to the persons who put us here, and the only persons who have any right to interfere with the operation of the board —and then under limited means —are the Minister and Parliament. For that reason I object to giving information to the council. Under the Act it is quite clear that we have to bring down estimates every year, and these we put before the local bodies. Then is the time to take exception to them. I feel sure that other members of the board are not going to suffer such indignities. Perhaps some of these individuals who are criticising aas may not have —and I don’t believe they haAfe —the backing of the people' of Palmerston North. If they did I would be very much surprised. They will be writing next to know whether any particular patient has a wart on the back of his neck. There is another point. The Press seem to give a tremendous amount of space to the remarks that are made by the Borough Council, and they give great jifqminence to what the councillors siiy. There is not a great deal in '"What is said, but, unfortunately, many people have no idea of the constitution of the board, and they may think that there is something wanting with its administration. Only at the last meeting of the council something was said in regard to some missing property of a patient. If the person who made that remark was interested in the patient, he could have written to the secretary without using a public body. The council should be very careful before attempting to remove any speck out of our eyes, to remove the ‘four by two’ from theirs. What do we know about running a farm? The Mayor knows nothing at all. He is a capable man in many respects, and I have a great respect for him. Round this table we have some of the most capable farming men in New Zealand, and . do you think that they are going to do anything that is not justified? “After all that we have done to help and assist Palmerston'North, we are asked to incur an expense of nearly £I6OO in giving, a water supply in case of fire at the Hospital. Whether it is a fact that the people of Palmerston North are not satisfied, or have no confidence in the present Borough Council or not, the fact remains that they have refused to grant them the water loan. Another thing: I am very pleased to know that every contributing body throughout the Hospital district is not endorsing the council’s stir-up in connection with the administration. A SMOKE SCREEN. Mr. G. A. Monk: I rise to support Mr. Hornblow. We are a self-con-

tained local body. I want to know’ what authority the Borough Council has to dictate our business to us. To take up the attitude it has in the last 12 months does not reflect any great skill or intelligence. To my mind, the remarks that have been passed are a reflection on the people who have sent us here to represent them. Once in every two years there is an opportunity to change the personnel of the board, and, if there are better men offering, w ; e will have to give wmy to them. But I don’t think that they are the Palmerston North Borough Council. All this noise is purely a smoke screen to cover up the benefits received by Palmerston North. To-day, there is a movement where-’ by the counties throughout New Zealand are asking for the incidence of levies to be amended, and I think that the remarks of the Borough Council will be of the. utmost assistance to the counties. In regard to another matter, I don’t think that the government has yet come into power that is prepared to alter the present democratic method of election of hospital boards. Mr. H. W. Smart expressed the opinion that the Borough Council w r as labouring under a misapprehension, and w r as casting reflections on the capabilities of the town’s representatives on the board. Mrs. Abraham was a very capable lady, and, when the next election 'came round, if she offered her services again, he thought that she would top the poll. Only one Palmerston N. representative had been on the board for only one term, and it seemed that the public were well satisfied with their representatives. “TIME TO TAKE ACTION.” In supporting the remarks of the previous speaker, Mr. G. P. Catley said that, when the Borough Council could show’ members how to lessen the levies, then it would be time to take action. Mr. V. E. Smith said that he supported the previous speakers. “We have the ratepayers to consider,” said Sir James. “I don’t personally care what the borough think of my actions. We represent the ratepayers, and they have "the right to information as to the way their money is being spent, but the way of asking for it is not the way that the Palmerston North Borough Council adopt. I notice that Cr. Milverton ridiculed the idea of the council criticising a “board of farmers.” Proceeding, the chairman said that 11 out of the 17 board members w’ere farmers, w’hile he himself had been farming for over 60 years. It was ridiculous that the board, constituted as it was, w T as going to allow money to be squandered. He did not care what the council thought, but it was the board’s duty to the ratepayers to clear the matter up, notwithstanding the silly criticism of the council.

The board then proceeded to discuss the matter further in committee, and, on resuming in open meeting, it w’as decided, on the motion of Mr. Hornblow’, seconded by Mr. Smith, to inform the council that' the board was unwilling to discuss the matter any further and was going on with its scheme. “Bodies like the Palmerston N. Borough Council,” said Mr. Hornblow, in conclusion, “should see that their own backdoor step is nice and clean before they criticise others.”