Conference of Local Bodies re Hospital Maintenance.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2903, 5 June 1878, Page 2

Conference of Local Bodies re Hospital Maintenance.

A conference of the Borough and County Councils, for the purpose of considering the matter of Hospitl main? tonance, was held at the Borough Council Chambers at noon to-day. Present—The Mayor, County Chairman, Crs Bead, Henshaw, Coutfcs, Ehenfried, Thprburn acd McGowan.

Or Brodie apologised for Cr BagnpTs absence.

Cr Itenshaw suggested that the letter from the Government on this matter be read.

Mr Dean read the letter from the GoTernment, already published. Cr Kenshaw said (bat as a member of the Hospital Committee lie had helped Jo frame a letter io the TSrorsh Council, which be suggested Le rer.d. Mr Dean read the letter from the Ho--pital surges iing that the Borough should contribute a fixed suu for the support of the Hospital

Cr fiens'iaw said that in the first years of '.he Hospital ths Provincial 'Government bad contributed £2 for ever/ £1 subscribed, so t!iat they got from the Govii t aient about £10. 0, £SCO or £600

being the anrual subscription. Subsequently the Government had fallen into the custom of sending them the £1003 independent of the amount of the subsiciipiions r;ii d. On the Charitable Institutions T.i'l bo: n{? brought into Pa?'liarpent tlie JoinmUlco had passed a resoluti' i • ;)proviog in the main of the Bill, but sfa'ting that uoi-il tbe Hospital wfs endowesl, £2 fc/ £1 should be p-id by the Gov vrnient. Ihe Bill bad been thiow.i out. however, and the authorities had sent them tae letter which b?d been read by Mr Dean. If the Boiough had been the only lor 1 body inieresird he believed that they would have accept 1 tue iosiions'biliiy of bearing the deficiency, bui. the County had also an in'er:st. He had made enquiries as to the relative number of patients usiug the bospi'.:l, r.nd bad on one occasion recently found Leven inpatients fvom the Borough aad 15 from the County. 18 oul-paiieDts were being treatrd troja tin Boro'^h, and at the same iime 23 from the County. He sugges'fd that for tte present the County aj^ree <o jo;a the Borough in unitedly bearing the expeoditu c. Ur Brodie said that he and the other nvmbers "f the Couniv Council present wi.-r« oiily ther^ as mernle.s of the Counril at the invitation of the Mayor. He would read them a letjer I'rom a country member of the Ceunty Council,.'.which he thought a sensible one, and r~:*erd with it. The exi'.'-ct was as follows :— "personally I an si o-Jgly opposed to plau of making local bodies support the iiospitr.l; and think that steps should be taken to induce ihe Government to maintarn hospitals and chad!able' insliiutioas out of consolidated revenue. It seems to me that any such abasement as that proposed by the Government, Hospital C'ommitttee acd Borough wPI be-found veryunsatisfactory. Of what use would one re present a Jy.e be on a commit:i:ecf 22? It would simply bo a repetition of the Big Pump farce.. If the County revenue is to be chained w<ill Hospital maintenance, lett be fixed on some definite basis, so that the liabUiiy nry be a capable estimate, or else the County Connc'.l must have moVe'.tbra a nominal control of the expe?diiu c." He had also procured an opinion fi'om the Cout»ty solici'or which sta'.ed that the County had not the power i..- support the Ho""pitll. He thoughi the writer of the lelter was Tight, as t!Je local bodes would only hare a nominal conliol of the Hospi.d. In course of ("' ac, when the County got more populated, other Hosp'-'als might be establishrd wilhin Coanty limiis, and ihey could not ask the Boroujh to contr'bu.'e to their support. He though!; a strong effort shoulct be made to gel; some of- the land in the upper country, which woeld be gping through the Lands Oouvt sborily, as an endowment for the hosn'tel.

CV Ehreifried spid tf»at Ur Kenshaw had proved (bat tbe inajo^ly, of the patient* c.me from the County, aid it appear- d to him i'mfc the Conniywished to saddle Ihe BoiOJgh wi '1 their sick. The County were qune entitld io pay tbeir quola. No doubt the Chairman was expressing the opinion of the Council.

Or Tborburi :said that CrEhrenfried was 100 big for his boots. How did CV Ehrenfrir d know I'iat the Chairman had (expressed his (GV Thorburn's)i(leaß. CrEhrenfricd: Or Thorbarn, yoa are r.o judgei of t'aat. As for you, you pass for nothing. ' - -Theohair called-the-meetitig to order.

Cr Ehrenfried said that he was present representing the Borough, and they were discussing the question as to how the Hospital was to be maintained. He wished to point out that the Chairman of the* County Council brought with him a legal opinion which stated that the County were not liable for the support of Hospital. He very 1 much doubted that the opinion was correct. Supposing that the County erected an Hospital, it was not like'y that the Borough patients .would be sent to it.

Or Bi-'die T<\ r;ged C? Ehrenvrred s pardo.i. It was quite probable an hospital m'ght be built at the Te Arclia s:ri. gs. Hi present they had people "'going' to WaSweraard elsewhere. He contended that the County were paying a share. They paid to the Consolidated Revenue: lie quoted from the Financial Arrangements Act, and said that they would have io contribute to the support of the Hospital for the next four years. Or Bead said that though the County provided half the patents, the Borough had to pay three times as much as the County. ; AnoLber passage of arms then occurred between Crs Thorbuvu and Ehrenfried, during wh'ch Or Thorbirn remarked that vyfr.en he was young if a man called him a l'ar hd knocked his teeth down his th: bat

Or Ehrenfried thought it was a good job for Or Thorburn tbat he was not a young man. = Cr McGowan said that, as he understotid it, neither the Borough nor County required to take overtbe maintenance of tlie Hospital. It was entirely an optional ma r. Tfce Borough did not need to take it over, but they would need to pay for it, and the County too; and then the Hospital would be classed as ai. out-district Hospital. If the County refused to take over a share of the deficiency it would be unfair for the Borough to do 50..... If one local body wouldn't become guarantee it would be thoroughly wrong for another to do so. Ho agreed with the legal opinion that the County had not power to contribute to the Hospital. CrThorturn said that he agreed with the straightforward remarks of Or McGowan. A good instuutton like the hospital would not he allowed to go to the wall. The county would pay tbeir share. Cr Brodie said fiat the County would be (ompeNed to pay their sl:?re even if they refused to contribute ?a fie manner proposed. He suggested that it would be advisable to have t'?3 Hospi': 1 supported out of- '•oncolidated; revenue. The members of the Couniy Council present were only prcstntas i...•■, dividual members, and were not even a majoiity of the Council. Afti; 1 some furt'jer discussion,

Cr Ehrent.ied sad that whatever was done at this lire Ling would be useless, as the Cuuniy Council were ± rot present. He would move that anolber conference be held at a times to be fixed by the County Chairman. Cari>d. The meeting then adjourn d.