WAR MEMORIAL HOSPITALS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 8, Issue 459, 21 March 1919, Page 1

WAR MEMORIAL HOSPITALS.

Pukekohe and Waiuku Schemes.

HOSPITAL BOARD APPROACHED.

Proposals to establish, as war memorials, a district hospital in Pukekohe, to serve both the Borough and Fianklin County, and a cottage hospital at Waiuku, were submitted to a meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board on Tuesday last, when deputations in support of both schemes waited on the Board. Cr G. H. Armstrong (Pukekohe Borough Council), Messrs R F. Webster and J. P. Asher (Pukekohe Chamber of Commerce), were the delegates present to advocate the erection of a hospital at Pukekohe, and Messrs R T. Reid (Chairman of the Waiuku Town Board), H. 0. Mellsop (Chairman of the Waiuku branch of the Farmerb' Union), and W. Henton (Waiuku Chamber of Commerce), formed the deputation from Waiuku, Cr W. C. Motion (Chairman of the Franklin County Council) co-oper-ating with both parties. The applications were taken together, and at the outset Mr W. Wallace (Chairman of the Hospital Board) suggested that it would simplify matters if the deputations could agree to one hospital only. He did not think the Board would entertain the idea of a hospital being set up at Pukekohe and another at Waiuku, but, all the same, the points put before the Board would receive every consideration. Mr Reid, speaking on behalf of Waiuku, stated that one hospital would not suffice, as a hospital at Pukekohe would not euit the Waiuku district, and a hospital at Waiuku would not be acceptable to the Pukekohe district. Waiuku asked for a cottage hospital for its own district, which was at one end of the County, and comprised (roughly) about lOC square miles, extending right up the peninsula. The district, he said, was practically isolated, and he believed that the Chairman and other members of the Hospital Board recognised in the influenza epidemic that a hospital at Waiuku would be beneficial. Three of the largest ridings in Franklin County, he added, adjoined Waiuku. Their idea was, he explained, to raise a sumof £I,OOO or £1,500 for a hospital at Waiuku if the Board would agree to take it over. Cr Motion stated that the deputations were not acting together, although he was a member of both. Waiuku, he stated, made the Grst move in the matter, and, therefore, if it was a question of one hospital only, he felt bound to accord his support to Waiuku's plea. He felt convinced that the Board's experience in the influenza epidemic showed that a hospital at Waiuku was desirable

Mr Mellsop and Mr Henton endorsed the remarks of the previous speakers. The case for Pukekohe was thon dealt with Cr Motion considered that there was room for two hospitals, as the same would relieve the congestion that was current in the Auckland hospital. He claimed that tho country districts were entitled to better provision for medical needs than had been given in the past Cr Motion also explained that the proposal for a hospital at Pukekohe was put forward as a war memorial as it was felt that a building of utility was much to be preferred to a monument, which would be little more than a waste of money. Cr Armstrong remarked that tho deputation of which he was a member was not in opposition to Waiuku, but they were there to advance their cjuso from a business point of view, and *o ask for a hospital to suit both Pukokohe and Franklin County. He pleaded for the same on behalf of tho workers, as motor hire or train charges to take patients to Auckland proved costly, whereas a hospital at Pukekohe would avoid such expenditure A hospital* at Pukekohe, he explained, would be accessible for patients right from Mercer to Papakura, as well as from Bombay, and from the eastern side of tho Couuty. Tho proposal, he ad.led, was to acquire about ten acres of land, and to erect a building that would be a credit to the district and an arquihition to tne Board. Cr Armstrong also mentioned, as showing publ.c preference for a hospital a*- h war memorial rather than for a ncnument, that a leading resident of I'lilcK'nhe had pr>>tuisod to donate L" 100 fir the hospital, whereas he •v iii. "illy give one guinea for a

ci'iiiurui-ni ■2r iVehiter remarked that they «•• r« i>..t antagonistic fo Waiuku h«< ur K Hi] that both districts were n l-r| to have hospitals Pukek hj", lih paid, was the natural centre f i Fra; kiin County and the greater (.in of the population of the County w.s in the vicinity of Pukekone. \\x A "her reminded the Board that •Ii" Fni.gij.-tted erootion of a hospital ukfkotie was put forward some i- - i»n hiit was deferred fur con-

i ■ ti i n at 'he Board's request ow- ■ B.i d'.-i then hh'dtage of iii„.J, cvx jut or the nine ridings in the County, he said, were near to

Pukekohe. Waiuku was at one end of the County and had its own particular district, for which a local hospital was desirable, but Pukekohe was even more entitled to consideration by reason of its accessibility from all other parts of the County, which on the eastern side extended to the coast. Mr Asher also pointed out that if the Hospital Board district was re-adjusted patients from the northern part of Raglan County oould be accomodated at Pukekohe whereas under present circumstances they suffered through the difficulties experienced in conveying them to the Hamilton hospital. He added that in the influenza epidemic it was found necessary to admit patients from Raglan County to the temporary hospital at Pukekohe instead of taking them the long journey to Hamilton.

Mr Covle (a member of the Board) asked whether a hospital could not be erected in some central position to serve both Pukekohe and Waiuku and Cr Motion replied that the lay of the County made that impossible. Mr Wallace (Chairman of the Board), replying to the deputations, said the whole thing bored itself down to a question of finance. At the time of the epidemic members of the Board recognised Waiuku's isolation and they had to remember that trains ran frequently from Pukekohe to Auckland, whereas even when the Waiuku railway line was opened only one train a day would probably be run from Waiuku and its inaccesibility would practically still continue as regards hospital cases.

The deputations then retired and the Board adopted a suggestion of the>pbairman that members should pay a visit to both the Pukekohe &m Waiuku districts In order to make themselves acquainted with the position. It was also arranged that a special meeting of the Board ehould be subsequently held at which statistics of revenue received, of population, and of cases admitted, to the Auckland hospital, should be subuvtted, the Board's architect also to give an estimate of cost of the erection of hospitals as suggested.