PROPOSED NEW HOSPITAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 37, 7 August 1911, Page 7

PROPOSED NEW HOSPITAL.

THE FINANCIAL ASPECT. DISCUSSED BY CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL. At Friday's meeting of the Clifton County Council, the financing of the scheme for the erection of the new hospital in New Plymouth Was discussed. The matter was brought up by a letter from Mr. C. M. Lepper, secretary of the I Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, who wrote that in accordance with an intimation from the InspectorGeneral of Hospitals that the present hospital building was inadequate for the enlarged district, the Board, after consulting with the Inspector-General, the medical staff and the Board's consulting architects,, had instructed the architects to prepare plans for a hospital, which would cost from £25,000 to £30,000. The Council's 'contribution to this on a building costing £30,000 would be approximately £1847. Due notice would be given of the amount due, which would not be <asked for until absolutely necessary. He also drew attention to clause 40 and section 10 of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act, 1909, which explained the Board's power to levy and the local bodies to raise the amount required.

The chairman said that he had «o objection to a reasonable expenditure for providing a sanitary building and good attendance for those who were so unfortunate as to be taken sick, but he considered that the new Act was unsatisfactory, in that the local bodies had no voice in the appointment of members of hospital boards as formerly. They were elected by the ratepayers, but were not responsible to the ratepayers for the money they expended, They simply made a demand on the various local bodies for the money required. They were not even required to make an explanation as to why the money was wanted. They did not even need to submit plans to the contributing local bodies. In fact, no explanation was made beyond that a large sum was required which the Act gave them power to raise by way of loan without reference to the ratepayers. He did not feel satisfied with this proceeding, which threw the w-hole onus of raising the loan on the Council. Ratepayers would not blame the Hospital Board for increased taxation. It would cost upwards of £IOO per year to provide the money. He could not say whether so expensive a building as contemplated was required. It seemed a large sum to expend in a comparatively small district such as North Taranaki. If the present hospital building were insanitary, then one-third of the houses in Taranaki must be insanitary also, because they had been built longer and had not the advantage, of the airy position that the hospital had. Instead of being increased, he pointed out that the Taranaki district, had been reduced by the erection of hospitals at Hawera and Stratford. He did not wish it to be understood that he was averse to every comfort being provided for those who were sick and had to take advantage of the great facilities which,a public hospital offered, but he took great exception to the law which threw the responsibility on the County Council of raising the money. He considered that the Hospital Board should have raised the loan and levied the rate.

Cr. Kennington asksd who were the architects, and, on ueing informed by Cr. O'Sullivan, remarked that architects dealt very liberally as a rule with outside fancy work and frills, which ran away with much money.' A plain, substantial building, without too much outside decoration, might be' built for twothirds of the cost. Was it intended to erect the building in wood, brick or concrete? Cr. O'Sullivan: Either brick or conCrete.

The chairman: What number of patients could be acqpnimqd^ted;? Cr. O'Sullivan could not say. The old building, however., was to.be utilised for another purpose-,,-, aiu) ( paid for by the Hawera, Stratford and .Taranaki boards.

Cr. its hr sanitary conditions? . ~. .

Cr. O'Sullivan sajd that for years the doctors had been,'asking,for .better hospital accomroqdf^ioj}.,. , ;I jFhc; Board had been to much, ejcpenfie in■> removing the Old People's' Home t,s. projvi.de' a site. The chairmai},., interjected that the doctors had to,'lje , ar.|.v,ery. ;lit#Q! #f .-tii» expense. ' He.'had baen.jooking at the Act, and found, that.the;local bodies had a right to appeal t,q.;thc ( Minister. He was not suggesting t)ia|t tthey should appeal. They wouhh haver very little chance if they did, because the 'Minister would have the .rejwt, of,.the'lnspectorGeneral to guide. hin\, ; , They would have to nay up and lpok pleasant. ' Cf'.' Sander ; bodies should,,fake, cftjnlwied steps and hold a conference. •

The ehairman, said' i; (,hi(.t the Council had no say in. 'the matter, though the ratepayers had.. The, local bodies, however, had to,raise the.money.