THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1905. TREATMENT OF CONSUMPTIVES.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 11, 28 January 1905, Page 5

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1905. TREATMENT OF CONSUMPTIVES.

Why the ratepayers should approve of an annex for consumptives at the Waimate Hospital. Thb Hospital Board at its last meeting decided to await an expression of opinion from the ratepayers on the question of treating South Canterbury’s indigent consumptives along with our own, at present receiving attention. If this public meeting cannot show strong proof of unreasonableness .in the proposal the Board will be quite justified in following the course that evidently has its strong sympathy. The matter is not one to be settled merely by numbers, and we believe it will be very hard for the opponents of the proposal to produce any evidence that will convince the Board that they are on the wrong track. A mere meaningless resolution that “We don’t like it, but we can’t tell you why,” should not weigh very much with the men who have for so many years successfully conducted our local hospital. The Board are naturally a jury in this case, and having heard both sides it will be for them to ultimately decide if the evidence is sufficiently strong to squash a scheme that will mean a saving of hundreds of pounds to the ratepayers. Should Waimate not fall in with the scheme of an annexe, the Timaru Board is in a position to compel Waimate to cease the present treatment of consumptives, and will be forced themselves to spend £2OOO or £3OOO on a sanatorium elsewhere, and Waimate vested interests would find this still less to their tastes. We purpose dealing with the question furiher, and would now urge the Board, unless some quite unexpected is definitely proved, to disregard a mere temporary wave of feeling however well intentioned its promoters may believe it to be.