HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE AID BILL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5835, 11 December 1879, Page 3

HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE AID BILL.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE NEW ZEALAND TIKES. SIR, While agreeing generally with the provision of this Bill, allow me to suggest some alteration in the composition of the Hoard. In the first place, such boards will require to meet frequently, say weekly. To enable this to be done without great trouble or inconvenience, the number of members elected should be very great—not less than thirty or forty one-half of whom should be elected directly by the ratepayers, and the remainder by the local b oards and the subscribers ; in fact, every ratepayer, the annual value of whose property ia £SOO and upwards, should be an ex officio member. So should every yearly subscriber of £5 or upwards. Benefit societies subscribing should also be represented. If the number of members on the boards is few, two evils will result ; first, inconvenience to the members and consequent neglect, throwing the whole weight and responsibility upon the officials ; secondly, a few members cannot possess that intimate knowledge of the people that would enable them to discern between those that deserve relief and those who may not ; in other words, under a large board many abuses cannot exist. — I am, &c., Rusticus.