THE PROPOSED WAIKATO HOSPITAL.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 630, 3 June 1876, Page 3

THE PROPOSED WAIKATO HOSPITAL.

The following is the copy of a petition "with reference to the local hospital, which At^as yesterday put in signature in Hamilton yesiernay, and will be forwarded to-day to other districts in the Waikato for signature likewise: — •"To the Honorable Sir Donald McLean, C.M.G., M.G.A., Defence Minister. The humble petition of the inhabitants of Waikato sheweth : That your petitioners learn with regret ■that it is proposed to make JVgaruawahia, instead* of Hamilton, the site of the intended Waikato hospital. That for many leasons this will cause •difficulty and inconvenience to a large ■majority of the settlers, benefittiug those -only living immediately on either side. That the majority of the settleis live so far fiom either river, as in the case of Ohaupo, Te Awamutu, Kihikihi, and other settlements, that it would be as easy and moie speedy and direct for patients fiom such places to travel by land to Hamilton as to one or other cf the riveis, and then •wait for a steamer to take them to Ngajruawahia. That in nine cases out of ten, of accident, or tmeigency, land conveyance is the •only means of transit likely to be available. That in the case of the large district of -the Piako, and much of the Upper Wai-kato-patients tnufct necessarily travel by land for Hamilton, en route for Ngarnair.ihia. That the selection of Ngarnowahia- will entail a greater expense in the maintenance of the proposed hospital than would i bo the case weie it established at Hamil- j ton ; as in the formor case, there would bo no practice in tho immediate vicinity of the bffajdtal; wheieas, in Hamilton, the b^rvkiJK^ resident surgeon allowed to pra(SaPßiithin a radius, bay, of five miles Tioulfl be prociuablo at half the cost of salary. That if none of the buildings in the A.C. Barracks are procurable, there are in the hands of the Government some eight immigrantb' cottages, three or four of w-hich might be easily removed to Government land, and cheaply for the purpose, the coat of which ■will not be greater than that ot adapting -the immigrants cottages at Ngaruawahia for use aa a Court house, &c,—a. work rendered necessary by the resuming occupation of the old hospital bnildiag as eucl\. Finally, in deciding on the site for the futuie hospital, your petitioners pray that you will take the matter into yonr seiiou-. consideration, and that, in the interests of the entire district, you will cause the hospital to be located ut Hamilton. And Aour petitiouexs will ever pi-<y."