OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 September 1942, Page 3

OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

EKETAHUNA FINANCES (To the Editor) ' . Sir —I have read with surprise the report in Monday evening’s paper of the monthly meeting of the Eketahuna Borough Council. The proposal to erect new municipal buildings at present is particularly untimely. The shortage of building materials and the lack of skilled labour will make the cost of the new building a very seiious load on the finances of this small borough, which arc by no means strong. Surely it would be possible for the Borough Council to find adequate temporary accommodation for its offices, at least for the duration of the war. The additional burdens which are being imposed on the people of this country to meet the growing costs of the great life and death struggle in which we are engaged make it imperative in the national interests that local bodies should practice the strictest economy and only spend sums of money over and above those required for essential maintenance, in circumstances of extreme emergency. It seems to me that the only way in which the waste of public money in the repair and rebuilding of the earthquake-damaged areas may be obviated is by the appointment of an independent commission to consider all proposed building schemes, with power to refuse permission for work to be carried out if it is not considered absolutely essential. It is a fact worthy of mention that the Eketahuna Borough Council has just appointed a new councillor who is not a ratepayer, although there arc already several non-ratepayers on the council. Surely it would be possible to find persons with the necessary qualifications for the office of borough councillor from among those who pay the rates which provide the council with the money which it is prepared to spend with such prodigality. In any event it would seem to be only just to give first consideration to the defeated candidates at the last local body elections. We are fighting for the preservation of democracy against the external foe, but if democracy is to be saved we must be vigilant against any tendency to disregard its principles in our own internal politics. I sincerely hope that the Eketahuna Borough Council will reconsider the matter of the new buildings and will refrain from embarking on a course which might involve an already hardhit town in very serious financial difficulties.—l am, etc., RATEPAYER. Eketahuna, September 22.

A REPORT CORRECTED (To the Editor) Sir,—May I be granted a little space in the columns of your esteemed paper to correct a misleading statement, attributed to me, in your report of the discussion at the last meeting of the Eketahuna Borough Council. Firstly, I did not wait on the council as I am a member of that body. Secondly, I did not say that the Government would provide £450 providing Eketahuna settlers found £l5O. I was not in possession of such information and had I been so I had no authority to mention same. What I did do was this: I drew the attention of the council to the fact that more than three months had elapsed since the clinic had been housed in temporary premises, owing to earthquake damage to the old clinic, and I moved that the Town Clerk write the local Dental Clinic Committee drawing their attention to the desirability of re-estab-lishing the clinic at the earliest possible moment, and that the assistance of the council be offered in the furtherance of this object. I would thank you for giving me space to point out an obvious error, as I do not wish that misleading reports should in any way hinder so laudable an endeavour as the re-establishment of the Dental Clinic in our town at the earliest possible date.—Yours, etc., . M. W. PRIEST, Councillor, Borough of Eketahuna. Eketahuna, September 21. SCHOOLS & HOSPITALS (To the Editor.) Sir, —Your forthright editorial condemning the taking of schools for hospital purposes has been much appreciated. The Lansdowne School, we feel, was taken and held longer than necessary, more for the purpose of saving inconvenience than for meeting a major emergency. The Wairarapa Hospital Board had ample time in which to provide suitable temporary accommodation for such men of the forces, but it failed to do so. Someone blundered; the school was grabbed and the children turned adrift. We are puzzled as to why our protest should have provoked such peevish expressions'of resentment from several members of the Hospital Board. Here is a copy of the protest: — “The Secretary, Wairarapa Hospital Board, Masterton. Dear Sir, —The Masterton branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute, while fully appreciating the difficulty of providing adequate hospital accommodation under the prevailing abnormal conditions, views with alarm the appropriating of school buildings for hospital purposes,, except in cases of extreme emergency. If such a state of emergency does occur in the Wairarapa, this organisation will give the fullest co-operation, but in the meantime feels that the Lansdowne School building should be restored to the 250 children who are now scattered in unsuitable buildings throughout the district. —Yours, etc., (Miss) J. E. Sellar, hon. secretary.” The Board's explanation, which was given, according to the published remarks of one member of the board, to “educate them,” is as follows: —“Your letter of August 26, regarding use of schools as temporary hospitals, was considered at a meeting of the board, held on September 10. In reply, I have to inform you that the board realises the position in regard to the disturbance of education if schools are taken over for hospital purposes, but notwithstanding, if sickness amongst the military forces is such that ordinary hospital accommodation is not sufficient, then the board has no alternative but to take ovex’ suitable buildings. The Lansdowne School building will be handed back as from today, and it is hoped that the 250 children will not be inconvenienced again, but to give a definite guarantee is beyond the powers of the board, as it is not known what set of circumstances will arise before the war is finished, and the main object is to win the war, because if it is not won the school children will not have an opportunity of attending tne fine school buildings which are now provided fox' them.”

—I am, etc., J. P. FARRELL,

President Masterton Branch N.Z.E.T. Masterton, September 22.