OPINIONS DIVERGE

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1940, Page 6

OPINIONS DIVERGE

PATEA PLUNKET FUNDS ALLOCATION OF GRANT

MOTION FOR RESCISSION

The suggestion that a deputation from the Patea branch of the Plunket Society had led the council to believe that its funds were low whereas in actual fact there was between £200 and £300 to the credit of the body in a banking account was made by the chairman, Cr. W. G. Belton, at a meeting of the Patea County Council yesterday, when he moved a notice of motion "that the resolution granting £20 to the Patea Plunket Society be rescinded," The motion was seconded by Cr. W. H. Watkins, and defeated. It was intimated that should the notice of motion be carried Cr. Belton would move "that the AltonHurleyville, Kakaramea, Patea, Waverley and Waitotara branches of the Plunket Society be granted £4 each." • Since the council had decided to make a donation of £20 towards the Patea Plunket Society he was tfpproached by members of the Waverley branch and it appeared that the position of the branch was not as some of the councillors were led to believe, said Cr. Belton. When a deputation waited on the council it gave the impression that the, whole county would benefit from the donation to the car fund. It was suggested that the Plunket Society funds were not on a very gcod basis. "No Question of Poverty." "The facts are that the Patea Plunket Society has between £200 and £300 in the bank and last year its income was £79 more than its expenditure," declared Cr. Belton. "That does dispose of any suggestion of poverty. I think the deputation should have placed all its cards on the table. I am not taking up the part of any of the Plunket organisations but the result of our action is distinctly unfair to the Waverley branch. "The Waverley branch conducts and maintains its own room out of its own funds and the provision of the rooms at Waverley disposes of the need of the car as far as Waverley is concerned," continued Cr. Belton. "The appeal o£ the deputation was largely based on the need of the car to the county as a whole, but the Waverley people say they do not need the car. The point is that the Waverley ratepayers are having to contribute to a car from which they expect to get no benefit. There is a feeling at Waverley that that is not fair. I understand that of the £20 we made available £10 is to be placed to the car fund and the balance is to be made available to each branch in sums of £2. "The circumstances suggest that the car was purchased out of the accumulated contributions made by all over a number of years, and by our action we are going to make a donation which will be placed- on fixed deposit," said Cr. Belton. Incomprehensible Action. "Your action in moving this notice of motion has got me beaten," said Cr. D. Hurley. "If the suggestion I make is put into operation the branches will still be able to make the money available for the car fund if they want to," replied Cr. Belton. (■ :■■■■■ -•-.fv - "1 don't think there is any real reason for this notice of motion," said Cr. J. Gibbs. "If we leave the matter as we decided at the last meeting I think it will be quite all right. Our idea was to assist the Plunket Society to get further into the country and by using the car the nurse can do that. Waverley because of its favourable situation in relation to the railway does not need the car to the extent of the outlying districts. "There seems to be some sort of friction between the Patea society and the Waverley branch, and I think it would be batter for us to let them fight out their own difficulties," said Cr. Gibbs. "The reason why Waverley does not get the car is because the people at Waverley insist on the nurse using the train," said Cr. F. K. Pearce, who said he thought that quite a number of the people controlling the rooms at Waverley were not ratepayers in the fcounty. Waverley had done nothing to assist the people in the outlying districts and Patea had by its enterprise brought- the Plunket service to the country. It was pointed out by Cr. Belton that Waverley was a sub-branch and could not launch out in the same way as Patea, which was the administrative body. The motion was lost.