NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 6, 7 June 1913, Page 5

NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL.

A PECULIAR POSITION.

A QUESTION OF FINANCE.

The peculiar position that has arisen • in connection with-the erection of the. . New Plymouth Hospital, wherein*; thfi > Government Department practically com*pels the Hospital Board to erect a new nospitnl, whilst another Department,, created for the purpose of lending local bodies money at a low rate of states ihat it has no power to~lend.' j money for this particular .purpose,, formed the subject of considerable discussion ; at the meeting of the Clifton County Council yesterday. Cr; Bower introduced 1 the matter byasking What steps the Council wej* : taking to raise their quota of £2,557 towards the erection of the new hospital.

The chairman read the oxcerpt from theTaranaki County Council's report showing how that body had been turned down by the Advances Department, Cr. O'Sullivan thought that application should, be made to the Public TrustOffice or gome other Government Department which had money to lend. The chairman said they would probably have to pay in that case five per cent, interest, and one per cent, sinking fund. He did not see the force of paying such a high rate"of interest when' the Advances Department,, created for the purpose, should lend it at a lower rate.

Cr. Bower thought the Advances Department acted quite - right in not lending money for such a thing. There were* plenty Of other lending institutions. .... Cr. O'Sullivan moved that,the Council should apply to the Public Trustee,, the Insurance Department, Mutual Life, and G.P.O. and enquire whether . they would lend the amount, and on what. terms. Cr. Bower seconded this. Ths chairman then moved an amendment that the Hospital Board be re-* quested to, defer the erection of tMtf hospital, until such time as the law was amended, so as to enable the Council to borrow the money from the Advances Office. It was hardly British, he said, to lie down and be kicked without vigorous protest. In plain English) the position was that the Health Department had forced them to an expenditure 0? £2.500, and another Department created for the purpose of enabling local bodies to borrow, says that it has not got the power to lend. '>. Sander seconded this amendment. A desultory discussion then ensued asto whether this was an amendment or another motion, and the chairman rule* that it w»s an amendment. Both the amendment and the original motion were then put and lost. Cr. Sander states that at present they were only beating the air. Let other local bhdies take the initiative The hospihl was not being Imilt i» th e Clifton county.