COUNTY COUNCIL WEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 175, 3 June 1879, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL WEST.

A meeting of the Public Works Committee of the Wairarapa West County was held on Friday last. Present—C. Pharazyn (in the chair), and Crs Moore Minchin, Jackson, and Boys. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, CORRESPONDENCE. Inward. Correspondence was road from the Constabulary Department, by which it appeared tho Council had been asked in error to take over tho management of the public Pound within the County created under tho lato Provincial system of Government, Outward. Correspondence directed to the Chairman of the Waipawa and Manawatu County Councils respectively, was read, to which no answer had been received, as to the maintenance of the Forty-mile Bush and Manawatu road, and its continuance through adjoining Counties beyond the boundaries of the Wairarapa West County, Instructions were given to the County Engineer and Clerk as to tho works progressing within the County. The Committee then adjourned sine die. FINANCE COMMITTEE. On correspondence of a volumninous nature read, the following instructions were given 1, That the County Treasurer furnish the Treasury and Audit Departments with the accounts asked for. 2. That the Council Clerk obtain further information from the Chairman of tho Featherston Local Board as to the portion of the main road within tho local district boundaries.

3. Hospitals. (See accompanying correspondence.)

4. The consideration of the amount of subsidies to be granted to Road Boards was further adjourned, pending information to bo obtained prior to next sitting of the whole Council. 5, The usual monthly financial statements were tabled by the County Treasurer, with an estimate of revenue and liabilities to the 30th June, 1879. Various accounts having been vouched and passed, the Committee adjourned, The following correspondence has passed between the Wairarapa Hospital Committee, the Colonial Secretary's Department, and the Wairaiapa West County Council, under the Hospital and Charitable Aid clauses of "The Counties Act, 1876," as amended by subsequent legislation Greytown, April 12, 1879. J. Gole, Esq., Clerk of Wairarapa West County Council. Sir—l have the honor, by direction of the Wairarapa Hospital Committee, to request that you will kindly draw the attention of the joint Finance Committees of the Wairarapa East and West County Councils to a resolution passed "by them on the 20th day of Februrary last, re subsidies to Hospitals; and to ask you to ascertain if the. Committee can vote an immediate grant in aid to the Wairarapa Hospital, Greytown, said Hospital being over £SO in debt, and sorely in need of assistance, without which it cannot continue to carry on. Trusting the Finance Committees will accede to above request. I have the honor to be, Your obedient servant, F. H. Wood, Secretary of tho Wairarapa Hospital,

Pesolution passed on above letter at meeting of Wairarapa West County Council on the 14th May, 1679" That on the Greytown Hospital Committee furnishing list of amounts actually collected, and certificate signed by Chairman and Treasurer showing that the stun of £SO, or any less sum, had been expended, the Finance Committeo be authorized to make the payment duo on such amount in accordance with resolution passed at the Conference of the Committees of the Wairarapa East and West Counties held on 20th February last,

Council Chambers, Carterton, 17th May, 1879. To the Secretary of the Wairarapa Hospital, Greytown. Sir,—l have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th ult., and now forward you copy of resolution passed by the Oouucil. relative thereto, at the meeting held on the 14th inst. I have tho honor to be, Sir, Your obdt. servant, Tiios. Gole, Council Clerk and Treasurer Wairarapa West County. (Copy of above resolution enclosed.) The list of contributions from 30th September, 1878, to Ist May, 1879, and certificate required by tho above' resolution were dnly forwarded to the County Clerk by tho Secretary of the Wairarapa Hospital a day or'two only, prior to tho meeting. Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 17th May, 1879. The Chairman of the, Wairarapa West County Council.

' Sir,—The Committee of the Wairarapa Hospital have written to the Government stating that under existing arrangements they are unable, owing to want of funds, to carry on that institution,;and that'they have appiied to the Borough Council'of Greytown and to the County Council, .for assistance, but .without any success. I am directed by the Colonial Secretary to remind you that under resolution of the 24th January last the County undertook to subsidise the Hospitals, and take over their management if necessary. On this assurance the Government made no deductions from tho County subsidies. If, however, the County does not carry out its undertaking, tho Governma. Aj, will bo obliged to allow the Hospital t(Jr close, and in future to charge the County its fair share of the cost of the Wellington Hospital by deduction from subsidy. The Colonial Secretary cannot refrain from saying that he is disappointed to find that a month or two after a formal undertaking of the nature of tho resolution before him, through which a monetary advantage was obtained, the Council should havo failed to fulfil their part of the agreament, I have tho honor to be, Sir. Your obedient servant, Hugh Pollen, For the Under-Secretary. Council Chambers. Carterton, 21st May, 1870. To the Hon. the Colonial Sectetary Wellington. Sir,—l havo the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of tho 17th inst. to hand thit morning, and with reference _ thereto have the honor to lay before you ' the following statement of facts which will, I trust, show that the Council have in no way neglected the responsibility they have taken upon themselves with regard to Hospitals and Charitable Aid generally within the County, and that the Committee of the Wairarapa Hospital have been somewhat premature in stating that they have applied to this Council for assistance but without success.

I have the honor to report that at their first meeting held in November last, the present Council decided that ordinary meetings should be held on the second Wednesday in eacli month, and the meetin" of the Council for the month of April would therefore fall on the 9th iilt., while the meeting for the current month would fall on tho 14th instant, when it was actually held, On the 14th ult. I received from the Secretary of tho Hospital a request for an immediate grant in aid of £SO, This was laid before the Finance Committee on the 22nd ult., le ported on, and considered by the Council at the full meeting held on the 14th inst,, when the following resolution was carried " That on tho Greytown Hospital Committee furnishing list amounts actually collected, and certificate signed by the Chairman and Treasurer showing that the sum of £SO, or any less sum, lied been expended, the Finance Committee bo authorized to make the payment due on such amount, in accordance with resolution passed at the Conference of the Committees of the Wairarapa East and West Counties held on the 20th Feb, last." A copy of this resolution was transmitted to the Hospital Committee on the 17th inst, I have further the honor to inform you that it has been the fault of the Hospitals that they have not long ere this known what annual grant in aid would be paid oo them by the two Counties. When the Council took upon themselves the burthen of the Charitable Aid clauses of " Counties, 1876," as amended by subsequent legislation, they had no data on which to calculate what would bo a fair and proper sum to be paid to the Hospitals annually. The Committees wero therefore requested to furnish certain estimates, but the returns were of so vague and unsatisfactory a nature that they gave no clear basis to act on, and further inquiry had to be instituted. The whole matter will be finally disposed of and the subsidies fixed at the meeting of the Finance Committee to bo held on tho 30th inst.

I trust the abovo explanation will fully exonerate the Council of having been guilty of any breach of agreement mac e respecting tnis matter. I havo tho honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Tiios. Gole,_ County Clerk and Treasurer Wairarapa West Council, Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 23rd May, 1879. The Clerk Wairarapa West County Council, Cartferton, Sir, —I have thVhonor to acknowledge tho receipt of your letter of the (21st May) date quoted in margin, and in reply am directed by the Colonial Secretary to say that the explanation contained therein is perfectly satisfactory, and that it is evident from it that tho Wairarapa Hospital Committee, without due grounds, represented to the Government that the County Council had neglected to carry out a contract which they are discharging to the best of their ability, The Colonial Secretary desires me to add that in his opinion the County Council are quite right in insisting upon proper information being obtained, and in taking due precautions in subsidising the Hospitals to prevent wasto while securing efficiency. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Hugh Pollen, For the Under-Secretary. At a meeting of the Finance Committee of the Wairarapa West County Council held 30th May, 1879, the following resolutions were passed on the above correspondence 1. That the sum of £SO be paid to the Committee of the WaSpipa Hospital as an immediate grant in»aid to that institution. 2. That the Finance Committee of the Wairarapa West County Council desires' to express its very great regret that the Committee of the Wairarapa Hospital should have thought it necessaiy to bring tho question of delay in obtaining a sidy from the County under tho notice of the Colonial Secretary, when the whole delay clearly arose the fault of the Committee, in not promptly furnishing the • information required. 3. That the Council Clerk forward to the Wairarapa Hospital Committee a copy of the correspondence relating to their application for the information of the Committee.