CITY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 119, 20 May 1879, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the City Council was held last uightfor the purpose of considering i the proposal to unite with the Waimea County Council in taking over the management of the Hospital. All the members were present except the Mayor, in whose absence the chair was taken by Cr Levien. Cr Everett said that they had had a conference with representatives from the County j Council, who had intended building a small hospital for the county, but before deciding had thought it better to see whether the City Council would not join them in taking over the management of the present Hospital. If this proposal were adopted they would only have to pay £450 towards the Hospital, the Government contributing a like amount and the County the same. As the arrangement would come into force immediately after the 30th June, it was necessary that they should decide at once. As to the management, it was proposed that that should devolve upon a Committee of six, half to be appointed by each Couucil, to whom the amount required should be paid monthly. He wished to add that the Collingwood County Council at present contributed £100 a year towards the Hospital. At present the maintenance of that institution cost £1900 a year, nothing being charged for patients from the West Coast and elsewhere There were now 24 patients in the Hospital, some four or five of whom were from the towu, and a like number from the Waimeas. Cr Cross corroborated what Cr Everett had stated as to the substance of the interview with the County Council, who, he said had quite made up their minds to build a hospital of their own if the City Council did not co operate with them. Cr Harley had long been of opinion that the management of the Hospital should be taken over by the Council, who, he thought, had made a great mistake in not undertaking it long ago. He would move— That this Council agrees to join the County Council in taking over the temporary arrangement of the Nelson Hospital on such terms as shall be arranged between the two Councils. This was seconded by Cr Crewdson and carried, Cr Little being the only dissentient. A very numerously signed requisition to ' the Mayor was read, asking him to proclaim Monday next a holiday, instead of Saturday It was resolved that while there was uo power to proclaim a public holiday, the citizens should be invited to observe Monday as such, instead of Saturday. Crs Levien and Cross voted against this. Mr Shallcrass' letter, denying that he had ever made use of certain words attributed to him by Cr Harley, was again read, when Cr Harley reiterated his former statement, saying that if he had not quoted the words exactly, he had at least given their meaning ™ T ou Towu Clerk wa3 instructed to write to Mr bnallcrass, conveying Cr Harley's reply • and to ask him, when the prison labor should in future be at their service, to communicate with the City Surveyor as to the work at which they were to be employed. Cr Little asked permission to shoot shags on the banks of the Maitai where they were destroying the trout, but the Council, fearing to create a precedent, refused to grant it. The Council then adjourned.