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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2753, 19 January 1882, Page 2

At the last meeting of the Geraldine County Council a resolution was passed that the Colonial Secretary should be requested to provide some means by which the Council may be represented in the general management of the Timaru Hospital. The: Council meets again next week, and we hope they will have by the day of meeting received some sort of favorable reply. There is no question that the popular feeling is in favor of the finances of all public institutions supported by taxation being managed ; by persons chosen by the taxpayers.; that those who have to provide the money should have some power to say how, when, and where it shall be spent. The Geraldine County and Borongh of Timaru have to contribute large sums annually to maintain the Hospital, if not directly, then indirectly, as the sums levied upon them are stopped out of subsidies that would be otherwise received by them—and the application of the principle that has been so widely extended of late years cannot be long deferred. It is because the local payments to the Hospital have been indirect, that so little objection has been taken to the presen* constitution of the Managing Board of the Hospital. Had the lo<ja] levies, instead of being stopped out, of subsidies, been raised by a spe-cial rate, or taken out of ordinary rates, the shoe would be felt to pinch, though doing no more real injury than it does at present. Wo trust the County Council will not lose sight of this business eTeu for a single month, and that the Borough Council, who are equally interested, will take the matter uip and co-operate with the County Council in obtaining a new system of management, and in giving as good, a form as possible to the system when the best constitution of the governing body comes to be discussed.