Separate Hospital for Waimate.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 245, 21 August 1902, Page 3

Separate Hospital for Waimate.

At the last meeting of the South Canterbury Hospital ar.d Charitable Aid Board on Tu sday the question of Wairaate’s separation was discussed. With regard to the special meeting with Waimate Trustees, the chairman said that the members present were und r the impression that the conference had arrived at a conclusion that would be acceptable to the Waimate people with regard to the boundary. Apparently that was not the case, as a letter had been received objecting to the boundary, and saying that if they did accept it it would m a i a certain loss of revenue, because the Waimate County Council could not claim subsidy on the special hospital rate. There must be some mistake about this, as the hospital and charitable aid demands are paid out of the general late, and subsidies are paid on the general rate. Whether this was against the law he did not know. He remembered that when the subsidies on the general rates were introduced by Mr Vogel he stated that the subsidies on general rates were given because charitable aid was handed over ti the local bodies. He had not heard that the Waimate people had taken any further steps, and until they had made a. further communication to this Board he supposed they would not dt so. lie had done nothing himself.

Mr Coltman said that from a conversation he had with Mr Douglas he understood that the chief objection was financial. They believed that their poshion would be much worse, and the Board would not wish to place them in a worse position. If what the Waimate people stated was correct, this Bo ird should make further overtures to the Trustees for an amicable arrangement. As to the Trustees taking further steps, they were, after their letter, fro 3 to proceed. The Waimate Hospital Trustees’ letter, dated 18th inst., stated that the proposed boundary line suggested at the late conference in Titnaru, viz,, to exclude from the proposed district the ridings of Upper Pareora, Lower Preora and Otaio, is not, in the opinion of the Trustees, one that they could accept, and the Waimate County Council had protested against such a proposal being adopted. It had evidently bean overlooked that on the separate special rate which would be necessary no subsidy would bo received, and this would still further reduce the available revenue for hospital and charitable aid purposes within the severed portions of the county. Mr Gillingham said they should stick to the boundary they fixed.

It was agreed to take the solicitor’s opinion on the point rained by the Trustees regarding the subsidy.