THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 5, 25 June 1898, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER.

SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 1898. At the Hospital and Charitable -Aid Boaid meeting in Timaru on Tuesday a question of .great importance to Waimate was brought up. Some months ago the Board asked the opinion •of their solicitors as to the position of the Trustees, and this opinion has just come to hand. According to it, .none of the Trustees are legally elected except the two elected except the two elected by -the voluntary contributors. The reason of this is that the "-Waimate Borough and County-Councils have not made any direct contributions to the Hospital, as required by sections 34 and 35 of " The Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1885, Amendment Act, 1856," to entitle tkem to take part in the election of Trustees. .The legal minimum is six, therefoie, according to this opinion, there is no body entitled to call'itself "The Waimate Hospital Trustees." The gentlemen now acting as Trustees •will probably obtain other legal advice. Some 'Of the northern members of the Board have .always been against maintaining the Waimate "Hospital in anything like an efficient condition. One of thaarguments used is that 'Geraldine patients are sent to Timaru, and therefore it should be no hardship for Waimate to do the same. But two blaoks do not make one white, and this only proves that the Board is not doing its duty by the northern part of the district. We are of opinion that small cottage Hospitals should exist in these places. Because Geraldine and JFairlie did not do as Waimate did and provide themselveswith an Hospital, that should be no .argument against the existence of the Waijmate Institution. It is not likely that the

Waimate people will allow their Hospital to be closed, and a strong effort should now be made to -set the matter at rest for good and all by having this part of the Waimate County made a separate Charitable Aid district. As the first step a public meeting should be called by His Worship the Mayor, when such action as is necessary can be taken. It if all Tery well for the chairman of the Board to say that he " presumed that the institution would be carried on," forihe action of the Board speaks against such a presumption. If it were carried on it would be in the stingiest manner possible, for the Board has all along consideied the expenditure "too high. In conclusion we would strongly urge that if any *ction is to be taken it should be taken at once. An Act of Parliament would be necessary, and -as Parliament meets this week there is no time to lose. Major Steward has always been very much interested in affairs pertaining to the Hospital and lie may be depended upon to do anything in his power to press the claims of the district on the attention of the House.