Hospital Maintenance.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2916, 20 June 1878, Page 3

Hospital Maintenance.

A conference of the Borough and County Councils was held at the Borough Council Chambers yesterday afternoon. Present—The Mayor, County Chairman, Crs Ehrenfried, Prica, Read, McGowan, Bagnall, Thorburn, Wilson, Mitchell. It was proposed that the two bodies should guarantee a sum of £600 annually for the support of the Hospital, which would be the difference between the subscriptions and £1 for £1 subsidy of the Government and the expenditure, and that it should be paid in the proportions of the patients sent, by the Borough and County. Cr Renshaw read a'letter-from the, Government to the President of the Hospital; Committee re the maintenance of the hospital. It was of date March 28th, and has already been published. The speaker referred to the advantages of the offer made by the Government. Cr Bagnall said he did not see where the liberality of the Government was. They proposed to pay half the cost of the Thames Hospital while they p?id the whole of the cost of the other hospitals. Cr Kenshaw said that they were going to stop that, and wished to put all on the same fqetJig. Cr Bagnall said he would certainly oppose letting the Government off paying less than they had hitherto been paying. Why should they put the maintenance of the hospitals on the local bodies ? It would be a much better arrangement to. have the money paid direct to the Hospital Commitiee, instead of filtering it through the local bodies. Other places had their hospitals maintained by the Government, and if they would not do that. at least they (the Government) should pay as much as they hitherto had been doing. Cr^McGo.wan said that the method proposed was not so roundabout as the old way. Cr Ehrenfried said he thought they could not do better than agree to pay a certain sum annually on the basis proposed. There could be no mistake about the proportions each body would have to pay, as the secretary of the Hospital could, quarterly, furnish- them with the number of patients from the County and Borough who had been treated durirfg that term. , He seconded the motion. Cr Bagnali said his opinion was that no definite arrangement should become to. Cr Rensbaw pointed out iha't hitherto the.subscriptions had not been subsidised; but now the Government proposed to rectify that by granting a sum equal to that raised by local effort. A letter ,was read pointing out that steps would have to be taken before the 30th of the month. Cr Eenshaw thought that the proposal of^ the Governmpat was a very good one. The Town Clerk pointed out that there were two distinct propositions before them. , :' Cr Mitchell suggested the postponement of the meeting until they learnt what the .Government.really meant. «Cr Eenshaw said it seemed to him that there was an unwillingness in the part of the County authorities to support the Hospital. •; Mr. Brodie said that they. objected to contribute to the Hospital and have money kept off their subsidies for the other Hospitals also. - * Cr Bagnall thought they should adhere to the principle ..that the Government should support the Hospitals and charitable institutions, otherwise than from subsidies of the local bodies. ■ Cr Ehrenfric d urged that a fair arrangement between the two bodies be come to; . Cr Brodie said that it was not a question of who usect the Hospital or who did not use it. The Government had no-right to put their functions on the shoulders of the local bodies. He had read in the newspapers that at some meetings held down South re hospital maintenance a similar sentiment had been expressed.;. ', Cr Head said that the question of the hospitals all over the colony was not for the discussion of this meeting. They had a distinct offer, from the Government, which they could either reject or accept. If they rejected it they would be in no better position than at present. If they accepted, there would be no deductions from their subsidies except for the Old Men's Refuge, etc., and not for the Auckland Hospital. Cr Brodie pointed out that the Government were, only asking for suggestions; there was no Act, authorising them to make the proposals in the letter. They would have i.o legislate on the matter. Cr Ehrenfried said that the County wished to say that the Government had no power to carry out the proposals. . Cr Eenshaw said that if the County would not assent to the proposition it would be. better for the Borough to take over the entire responsibility of the Hospital, than be as at present. Cr Bagi all said ajl the trouble was that the Government had deducted more from the.... Borough sudsidy than from the County. ■'! / Cr Mitchell criticised the action of the Government. Cr Brodie said the way Cr Bagnall had put it was right. It would be unwise for the County to agree to take over the liability "^tending the conference at Wellington. Cr Bagnall moved as an amendment— 11 That, pending the decision of the conference o( local bodies to be held in Wellington, this meeting deems it unadvisable to express an opinion on the proposal of the^Govemment." - This was seconded, and on being put to the meeting, the four County representatives votad for it, and the five Borough representatives against. The motion was then put with the same result, and the Conference adjourned.