Waimate Hospital District.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 113, 10 October 1901, Page 3

Waimate Hospital District.

At a meeting ot the South Canterbury iHoepitfil Board on Thursday, the Waimate Separate Hospital District BUlwaadiscussod/ 7■; The correspondence between the ehaiijawt HaUJenw aod ttr

Flatman was read, relative .to, the Waimata Hospital District Hillnow befbretheHousa. Mr Walker made abatement, of the view taken by the Waimate members. He assured, the Board that if, notice had not, been sent to this Board it was entirely through an oversight, not for the purpose of keeping them in the dark. It was assumed perhaps that members had all seen the reports of meetings in the papers at which it was determined to promote the Bill. , He assured the Board also that he looked back on their relations with the Board with the greatest pleasure; their relations had always been most cordial, and he hoped that the discussion on this question would be friendly. They must be awa’re that a feeling had always existed in Waimate that the hospital should be separated as an independent institution, and this feeling had' lately been intensified by the action of the Pareora ratepayers io seeking separation from the opunty. It was felt that if there was to be separation of the county it would be a good time to separate the hospital district tod. Mr Walker gave some particulars of the great increase in thepopulation of the county in the last few years. The progress had been such that the capacity of the Waimate hospital was being tested to Its utmost, and the accommodation must be increased at an early date. Waimate felt that they bad been contributing more than a fair share towards the cost of the central Board. He had got out some figures for the last five years, they might not be exactly correct, but they were nearly so, and these showed that .Waimate, county and borough, had supplied in the five years between £SOOO aud £6OOO more than they received back. This was a matter that bad been debated by th< ratepayers, and apart, from the financial aspect they believed that th> hospital affairs would be much bettei managed if they were entirely in thei; own hands. He gave details of th contributions and funds returned ithe last five years, the totals being Contributions, £5280; subsidy there n £5230 ; total, £10,460. Amou.. retained to -the Hospital Trustees. £4440. The amount of charitable aid he was not sure of, but he estimated it at about £4O a year, omitting tin amount provided by Waimate through the Ladies’ Benevolent Society, and the subsidy upon it. That left a balance in favour of the Board as against Waimate of £5820 in the five years. (The statement that charitable aid had cost only £4O a year was received with exclamations of incredulity. and Mr Macintosh said they could knockoff the £BOO for the account, and then there would be £SOOO left). Mr Walker said that would be £IOOO a year, and if they could save that, who could blame them for trying to get separation ? If it was not carried now it. would only be a matter of a short timo-when it must be carried. It was forced upon them now by the severance of the two ridings, otherwise it would have been left in abeyance for some time yet. Reverting to his figures, he said they were absolutely correct except with regard to the charitable aid.

The secretary said' the cost of aid for Waimate is about £260 or £270 a year.

The chairman said that if those figures were going to be used they should be subject to revision, and whatever the outcome, they ought to have further consideration a* to where the boundary should be. Mr Hole thought there would not be much objection to the proposal if the boundary was altered to the Otaio, and he aid not think Waimate would be much bei tor off after the change, on account of the extra expense they would be put to.

Mr Moore expressed regret that by ■oversight the matter had not been brought before this Board sooner. Courtesy alone should have led the Waimate trustees to give notice of their action. He argued that the boundary should be fixed without special regard to the county boundary, and in such a way as to yield approximately the same revenues as at present On a similar rate. In its present form the Bill must be strongly opposed, as it would bring the northern boundary. of the Waimate district to within eight miles of Timaru, and if the boundary was altered it should be altered in such a way that the northern part of the district should not have to. pay for it by loss of a proportion of revenue. The chairman said there must be some mistake in Mr Walker’s figures, and his argument might be used by Geraldine or Mackenzie that they give a great deal more than they get back. This is inevitable, because.the poverty and the hospital cases gravitate to the centres.

Mr Walked said those counties have no institution and Waimate has. The chairman contends! that the question of boundaries ought to _ba dealt with by some kind of inquiry, and not settled in any arbitrary manner. Mr Walker : I take it that if the Levels County Bill passes you would not object to the Waimate Bill. The chairman : I think the boundary ought to be settled independent of the county boundary. Mr Walker assured the Board that the trustees were anxious to do anything that was fair and reasonable. Colonel Moore proposed and Mr ■Gillingham seconded—(l) That this Board strongly protest aga’nß the Waimate Hospital District Bill as at present before the. House of Representatives, on the ground chiefly that the proposed Waimate Hospital District at its northern boundary would come within eight miles of the Timaru Hospital, while being 20 miles away from the Waimate Hospital; and that a large number of patients from the north part of the new district would certainly attend the Timaru Hospital. (2) That this Board, in the district left, would have to raise a considerable amount more money for 4he maintenance of the Timaru Hospital than it now has to pay. (8) That this Board is of > . • e _ i. i _ . A *a j. 1.1 jml -

opinion that probably an amicable agreement can be arrived at by the local bodies interested, ae to a s boundary where a separation could be made, if time Were given for a conference on the subject, each time no* being available. now if the Billie pushed through ” - -- r • Messrs Walker and Dean moved at} amendment— That >ovldiog the present Bill before the House,, namely, that the two Parebras are separated from tbe.Waim.ate County* this Board will not oppose the separation of .the Wairoate Hospital BUT providing the boundaries are the Waimate county duly 11 . / ' - The amendment was lost, .only the moyer and seconder voting for . it, and Mr Moore**' motion wm Herald!