The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1920. A FRANKLIN HOSPITAL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 594, 21 December 1920, Page 2

The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1920. A FRANKLIN HOSPITAL.

The principal topic discussed at the last meeting of the Pukekohe Chamber of Commerce; namely, the proposal that a general hospital should be provided for Franklin, in a central situation, is one that the "Times" has given advocacy to on many occasions. When it is considered what a large populous and prosperous area Pukekohe is the natural centre for, there can be little doubt in logical minds that a hospital must be erected here at no very distant date,, There can bo no denial of the fact that Franklin gets a«very poor return for the £II,OOO the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board draws from this area, directly i* the form of rates, and indirectly by Government subsi--1 dies. But we do not propose *o reiterate here the various conclusive arguments in favour'of the proposal, because it is.all so useless until the hospital authorities are enlightened as to the position, which can be done only by a personal tour through the area affected. Sufficient proof of this statement may be found in the fact of the Chief Inspector of Hospitals expressing the opinion that a maternity homeand casualty ward at Waicku would also serve Pukekohe. Such a statement is so ludicrous that it must be accepted as a proof of Ihe utter ignorance of its author in respect to the topography and geography of Franklin. It is very obviously necessary that the Hospital Board members and officials should be. conducted over the district, including the four northern ridings of the Raglan County, after which it may be possible to get" them to take $ commonsense view of the position. The New Year should certainly witness substantial progress towards the materialisation of a Franklin Hospital. ' ,