NEW PLYMOUTH AND HAWERA HOSPITAL DISTRICTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 194, 18 June 1903, Page 4

NEW PLYMOUTH AND HAWERA HOSPITAL DISTRICTS.

S; AKTOSXMBMT OF ACCOUNTS I DEOUSBION AT HAWERA. I T At a meeting of the Hawera Hospital Board on Monday the arrangement : > arrived at between the representatives .- of that Board and the New Plymouth Board was submitted by the chairman who detailed what had taken place. Mr Boddie said at last mesting of Che Boerd a s'atement of assets and liabilities, and also contingent assets, was placed on the table. The com mitt* e had suggest* d tt at £IOOO should be paid to the Hawera Board. In no instance in pist had there been a case where adjustment cf the kind was necessary, and there was no prevision , - lor such in the Ac'. The lecal ccm mitte3 had not only to fijht the Taranaki committee, but also its so'ieitor. (Mr Bobbins: And a good man, tco). Tea, a good man. The position was that while the Board could control the Hawera Hospital and reserve, it had no title to the property, and therefore it appeared that legislation would be ,' necessary. Looking at all the drffleul- ;- ties in the way, the solicitor, who bad \ pal the matter in a very fair way, had <■ pointed out that unless an amicable r Bettlement oould be made the Board Y would be at the mercy of an irresponsible person. The committees had r , given the matter every pofsible con- %" rderation, and es a result the local f Board reduced its cla"m to the continfi gent assets from £IOOO to £SOO, and I undertook to p*y on account of liquid j[<~ liabilities £4BO. The lat'er amount \ would be reduced by £B6 when the j> amount in dispute in regard to the Egf'_ mont County was adjusted. There v was a further reduction cf £75 in re- '{-. gard to money for ground improve- :'- mentav In other words, the Board bad '--<"'. Bot8 ot *U »*■ ossets, Hospital, Milmoe be- ;"' quest, etc., and £246 in addition. He g' was quite satisfied that the New Ply- % mouth committee (on the advice of j>- their solicitor) recognised the extreme L' difficulty that would face both Boards r if an amicable arrangement was not t come to. The Taranaki Board bad, as S was seen by telegram just to hand, con- ;.• firmed the action of the committee. ' The local committee desired to convey * to the chairman of the Taranaki Board * _ and cbiumittse its thanks for the courv, toons manner in which they had met and treated the delegates from this - end. A short bill was being prepared by Messrs Govett and Quilliam. | Mr Bobbins said, according to the L- figures got out by the Taranaki Board, $. this Board wou'd have to pay the 5" northern Beard £IBOO, instead of re- j * r eaiving £246. As regards the Old .Jlen'g Home, that was to a Urge extent I a bonecf contention. However, the *• question of its management in future was narrowed down to the amount to (-_ be charged to inmates sent from this i". jlittrict. It was decided that the cost £ was to be 10s; if it was found that that wjb ißsuffident, extra was to be paid, i but if it was too much a refund was to 4 - be made. It was clearly point-d out y, that the Board had no title to the \ assets, and the satisfactory manner in *' which things had been arranged was a \ source of pleasure. It would now be *- advisable to gat legislation passed as \ , soon as possible). j The Chairman said Taranaki people '• no doaht telt a bit sore at losing what \~ Mr Qiilliam had described as "the milch cow "—this end oi the district. *. He thought the arrangement arrived *!,.. at was very satisfactory. At first he believed that if the slate was wiped clean the Hawera Board would have •j come out well; better than that had \ been attained. Mr Boddie said the New Plymouth e Board had never made any claim to the \ • Miimoa bequest, but thought it should -* be included *s an asset. j ~ Mr Wilkie said the question of the Milmoe bequest was not in consideraS tion. | ''• Mr Boddie said the committee had never allowed the question of the Milmoe bequest to be considered during :'■- the conferences. i Mr Wilkie said he was somewhat J surprised after the forecast at a pre * vious meeting that the local Bsard was ,j getting so little. Mr Boddi? said the contingent lU- >' biliies were .reduced from £IOOO to ~ £500; the other figures remained as they were. In reply to Mr Wilkie, :, Mr Boddi? said the Taranaki Board's C ass.'ts were valued at £B6OO, and the Hawera Board's at £SOOO. Mr Wilkie said the Government always provided for an equitable ad j asiment of accounts between Road Boards, „ etc, and he though"; they would in the t~ case of Hosp'til Boards. He thought .' it hard lines if tha Board could not get i an equitable adjustment. It seemed ;• that for its assets of £5090 the Board I would only get £2500, No doubt Mr Quilliam, who was a first claea lawyer, I: would give a first class opinion, but he would no doubt do his bast for his own -' aide. Mj Wilkie also brought up the question of the Old Men's Home. Mr Boddie said the northern com- ~~- mittee argued, and righ'ly, tbat the - Bi> i.o wo, j .. account of the separation of ihe liis.iict, now too large for the purpose for which it was built—the requirements of the whole district—and naturally suggested that the value •, should be written dowi,. The southern ' oommitteo then decided that they would agreo to persons being eentfrom this district. Mr Bobbins said that he believed tha v . had the accounts been subject to adjustment by an offiial, the Miimoa bequest would have been taken into consideration, and the prsition would -_ have been tbat the Hawera Board * wculd not get anythiog a*; all, but rather the reverse. The Chairman expressed a sin-ilar opinion. The committee could be proud cf having settled the ma'ter in an amicable nay. Mr Taylcr sad he hud stated at last , meeting that ha thought if the local Board came out square it would do -' well; irstead of tbat it had got something to the good, and he thought the ' cemmittee should ba. complimented. 5 He was sorry in a way that the comI mittce bad not had a solici o; to meet the other ccmmules's lawyer. The Oba'rman sad he mug 1 ; pay ' tribute to the way Mr QalKam htd

acted. He had put both sid«s of the question, and had acted more aa aa arbitrator than a lawyer. Mr Taylor moved, that the report of the committee be adopted, and the thanks of the Board be given to the members of the committee. Mr Wilkie seconded, and said (hat although he had been somewhat critical, he thought, as the question was a vexed one, the committee had done the best it could. The motion was carried.— Star.