wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. " NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1880.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 9119, 20 May 1880, Page 2

wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. " NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1880.

Mil Hall's "Hospitals and Charit;il>le Institutions Bill" was circulalcd some time ago amongst the various local bodies, with a view to obtaining their opinion as to its provisions. Jt in a measure which contemplates the divivision of the colony into a number of districts for the purposes of the Act, and one of which districts muy comprise one or more Counties or any Borough or Boroughs contiguous thereto. The division is to be made by the Governor in Council, anil he can declare what hospitals or charitable institutions in a district shall be brought within the operation of the Act ; what local bodies shill contribute to the funds in aid ; what their several proportions shall be ; and how many members shall constitute the Hospital and Charitable Aid I3oards in the various districts. The exclusive management and control oE every hos« pital and charitable institution brought under the operation of the Act is to be vested in these Boards, which are to be elective. Two points occur in the consideration of this portion of the Bill to which the greatest attention should be paid. The Boards are certainly elective, but the constituencies are merely the councils of those local bodies which are contributory towards the Hospital and Charitable Aid funds. If the Act contemplated that nil the fuuds should be found by the local bodies, supplemented by votes of the Assembly, and the proceeds of endowments from the landed estate of the colony, there would be nothing further to be said on the matter. JNTo objection would, we suppose, be taken to the various Councils electing the members of Boards whose funds were to be supplied by the Council. The Government might, without unduly interfering, put ioi'ivant ii claim to nominate a proportion of the members if the funds of the Board were supplemented by Government grants, but not the general public unless they subscribed some part of the money. But the Bill does not contemplate the extinction of the voluntary element in providing means for carrying on hospitals and oilier charitable institutions. On turning to the fifty-sixth section, we find thiit the Hospital and Charitable A ill Fund shall cousi-t of moneys arising from (1) Grants by Parliament : {'2) Grants iroin the contributory local bodies ; (3) Donations and annual subscriptions ; (4) Heuts and profits of land ; and (5) Jievcnue from other sourccn. Here, then, we have donations and annual subscriptions clearly taken into account us a prominent source of revenue ; and though there a c some who think tl'at the time ii to ■i' when charitable institutions should no longer be dep.'iidi nl in any degree on volunlaiy 0 l.tributluns, such id not the general leeling throughout the colony The popular idea is that Iho basis of operations should be the voluntary contributions, with the added assistance of grants fiom Government and from local public bodies. But, if this is so— if it is expected that (he public should contribute to the funds - the public should aUo share in Iho management, by having a voice in the election of members of the Hoards. Jt seems to us that the fact of the local contributory bodies — the County Councils, Borough I'ouiuiis, and .Uwid BoiiriU — b hi jr .l,i-l. d by ;he ralupa3'ers, dous not iurnial; an answer to this objection. What those nho sub-

scribe to the funds are likely to want is a control which should bo real and effective. Tlie proposal in the bill gives I a control which, ia too distant and vngue to be of any vaiuo whatever. Moreover, (lie electors of the local bodies arc those who pay rates, whereas subscriptions from the public would be drawn from many nhose mimes arc not to be found on any rate-roll. If this method of constituting the "Boards bo adhered to, it may be taken for grunted that an almost complete stop will bo put to voluntary subscriptions, or, at all events, that they will form but an insignificant item in the total of available funds. Looking at what has been done in Wanganui with regard to the hospital, this question of the constitution of the Board may not be of much importance, because the institution lias not been to any great extent dependent on the voluntary contributions of the public. 13ut the proposed Act ia general in its operation. In some other parts of the colony a different slate of things has existed in times past, and we repeat that, if for the maintenance of hospitals or other charitable institutions it is intended to appeal directly to the public for contributions, those who subscribe ought to constitute the electorate. As in any case a largo portion of the funds would be derived from grants from County Councils, Borough Councils, and Jioad Boards, those bodies oncclit to have a voice in the elections in proportion to the amounts given by them. Supposing, however, that no alteration with regard to the electorates is made in this Bill, there certainly ought to be with regard to the method of election. We have not sufficient space at our disposal to go fuliyinto this question, wliich is after all a minor one, but the provisions oE section eleven seem to us uunecessarily cornplexc and cumbersome, and we recommend local bodies, when considering the measure, to give this part of the subject a little extra attention with a view to simplification. We observe that it is proposed by section forty - two to give the Boards power to make bye-laws with reference to a considerable number of matters, a few of which might, perhaps, with advantage be omitted. One is the power to make bye-laws for fixing the number of members lo form a quorum ; another, for determining the validity of disputed elections and for conducting su-jh election?, and all mailers connected therewith. The quorum might be fixed by the Act itself; bo might tlie method of conducting the elections, 'ihe validity of disputed elections should be deternv'nej by some outside authority — probably by the .Resident Magistrate or by .Justices. The Bill gives power to local contributory bodies either lo pay the contribution out of the ordinary funds at their disposal, or to raise the required amount by a rate to bo struck lor that purpose. That portion of ihe bill from section eighty to eighty- nine, deals with "Voluntary Charitable Institutions," and we shall have something to say about them on a future occasion. We understand that, in the course of a few days the iSorough Council intend to devote some time to the consideration of this measure, nhicli has been a loug time promised, and is in its present shape a rather I clumsy piece of proposed legislation.