THE NEW HOSPITAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 93, 10 October 1911, Page 4

THE NEW HOSPITAL.

THE CLOSLVO OF TAMAR STOEi:'!'.

The Borough Council last night Ifad a long discussion regarding the dosing of part of Tamar street for inclusion in the, site of the new hospital building. The matter caimo wp in a letter "from, Mr. C. M. Lepper, secretary of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board,, who wrote:—"ln answer to your letter of the 7th October, thai my Board placo its proposals in writing re Tamar street, I have to inform you that the late Mayor, Mr. U-. Tisch, was approached rethe closing of this street, and lie was quite in accord with the idea. He uJs»promised that if my board ,paid all e.v penses (which it has done), be would do all in his power to have the street closed and providing the School Commissioners refused to purchase it, the Borougk Council would apply to -jiinit the freehold of the same by Order-in-Couneil. My .board would take it as a favor if your Council will give ell'eot to the late Mayor's promise in this matter."

Mr. Bellringer, chairman of the Board,, and Mr. tLepper waited on the Council. Mr. Bellringer said that he very much regretted the demise* of Mr. Tisch before the completion of this matter. The Board had decided to erect a Large new. hospital, and desired to utilise part, of this street (which existed only on paper) in the site. When the Board decided on the erection of the new hospital be, as chairman of the Board, approached the late Mayor with a view of having thin piece of land vested in the Board. Mr. Tisch said he had always had this m view, and'offered to give all the assistance iii his power to have the street conveyed to the Board if the latter body paid all the expenses. At the same time Downe street was promised to be closed,, and had since been closed. Tamar street had now been closed, the Board paying all expenses. The Board had made arrangements ifor the removal of earth from this* piece of ground for the site of the new hospital, and were surprise* when they learned of the attitude of tho Council. He trusted that the Council would honor the memory of the lata Mayor by carrying out hi* intention in this matter of conveying the freehold of the closed portion of the street to the Board, or, if that were not possible, that arrangements 'be made to grant a very long lease of it to the Board at a small rental. He read extracts from correspondence which passed "between the School Commissioners (owners of the fee simple), ithe tenants and sub-tenants, and the Hospital Board, from which ho said it was evident that it was intended the street should be closed for the purposes oif the Board.

The -Mayor said that there was. unfortunately, no record on the minutes of any of the matters mentioned by Air. Bellringer. He himself tad been present when the late Mr. Tisch had sipoken to Mr. Bellringer on the matter of closing the street, but had never understood that the stheet was to ibe conveyed to the Hospital Board by Ordeir-in-Conncil. The late Mayor, he knew, had the matter in hand when he was overtaken by the illness which ended in his untimelydeath.

Cr. Gilbert asked Mr. Bellringer what rent he considered the street was worth,, and he answered that at present the Council assessed it at a shilling a year,, the encroachment fee. He hoped the Board could get it at a peppercorn rental.

Cr. Gilbert could not see why tho Hospital Board should receive any greater consideration that this Council might expect from any other local body.

Or, Anibury said that it seemed to him that there was a mix-up because n. number of* people went about their business in a very unbusinesslike way. In the first place the Hospital Board approached the late Mayor, when they should have approached the Council, so that councillors would have known what was proposed. Then the late Mayor had made a, promise to endeavor to influence the Cotineil in the direction desired by the Board, but the Council had. no record of the promise. With regard to the Board undertaking to pay the cost of closing this Tamar street, that was all irregular, and it was very irregular in-

deed for the Board to pay the cost o.f closing Downe street through Western Park, in which street it wasn't interested a bit. He considered, that the Mayor should have given more information to the Works Committee the other night, for it was apparent that he was cognisant of it in a greater measure than had then appeared. No member of thei Council wished to retard the Hospital Board in its work, but councillors had to see that the ratepayers' property was protected. Had the matter been explained to the Works Committee as it was explained now, he ■was sure they would have taken up a different attitude in regard to it. He was sorry that upon learning the decision of the committee the Board worked up a minor agitation instead of first approaching tilio Council. Sir. Bellringer said that in the first instance a deputation from the Board met the Council. Cr. Clarke suggested that the councillors should confine themselves to questions at this stage, and the Mayor said that he couldn't tell, when a councillor got up, whether he was going to speak or to ask a question. (Laughter.) To Cr. Clarke, the deputation said it had never "been mentioned at the Board meeting .that this land would be acquired for nothing, but merely at a nominal figure. To Cr. Morey: In the present plana the new hospital was planned to extend over the closed street. If this piceo of land were not obtainable it might become necessary to look for a fresh site.

The councillors were generally in favor of meeting the deputation, and tho opinion was frequently expressed that no one would ibid against the Board at auction. The town clerk read the portions of the Municipal Corporations Act governing the procedure to he followed in closing a street. It was possible to grant a lease of the land for <a purpose of "generaJ utility," 'but was a hospital such a purpose? The discussion then became very irregular. Cr. Gilbert moved that the Hospital Board be grantcrl a lease cf this portion of Taniar street at £4 a year. Or. Clarke snid it was quite apparent' that there had been some understanding that the, Board was to get some quid pro quo for paying these expenses. Ho wanted to be sure of the legal position in any dealings, and was. not going to vote for any resolution which, if contrary to tow, might render the councillors'responsible to refund to the ratepayers the value of this land. The matter came up again when the" Works Committee's report came up, and the clause dealing with it was deleted, in order to have the matter submitted; for a legal opinion.