RE TRAVELLING EXPENSES PAID TO MEMBERS OF THE HOSPITAL BOARD.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2719, 14 December 1889, Page 2

RE TRAVELLING EXPENSES PAID TO MEMBERS OF THE HOSPITAL BOARD.

TO THE EDITOR. ynt,—" Own Correspondents "to leading journals should te, in my opinion as Ceasar's wife, " above suspicion," but not being infallible are consequently not incapable of error. An error when not wilful is easily amonded. But alas, how many newspaper reporters are to be found who will make use of every kind of subterfuge, sophistry, concealment and disguise their brains are capable of to suit their own ends, without appearing to wilfully deceive their readers. Truth is " the perception and representation of things as they are.' The Weekly News is the only Auckland journal I have an opportunity of seeing regularly. Hitherto I have always remarked the fair and impartial manner in which the Hamilton correspondent for that paper had made out his reports of local affairs of which I had a knowledge. Latterly, however, I have beeu at a loss to understand his reason for bringing so prominently before the public the mere travelling allowances made to the county members of the Waikato Hospital Board in a manner quite uncalled for from anything ' that has passed at the Board's meetings, compelling one to believe that there must be a few behind the scenes, whose motives are known only to the initiated. Are we to attribute such motives to a little venom still existing over the recent result of the discussion on tho doctor s salary, or to any mora unworthy ones such as haviug "an axe to grind." A paragraph in the Weekly News of the 7th inst. states : —" The suras paid to members of the late Hospital Board coming from a distance of over three miles .were : Mr Brunskill, £1; Mr Clements, 15s ; Mr Chepmell, 10s 6d ; Mr Hunter, 10s. Of these Mr Chepmell comes the farthest distance, and on horseback. No charge was made by the Raglan representative." Now, it would appear from the above that tho Raglan gentleman must be just the sort of man the country wants at the present time ; and your humble servant is certainly not the right sort. Now for facts, Sir. The Raglan gentleman resides in the town of Hamilton, and offered his services to the Raglan County Council when first elected, for the very reason that he would save all travelling expenses. Mr Chepmell does not travel tho farthest distance ; I do. One man's journey (return) can be accomplished in a jiay on horseback; the other (mine)—viz., 52 miles can hardly be expected to be done without the assistance of train, coach or river, when a long meeting has to be attended in Hamilton ; hence the difference in allowance, and which was considered by the Board when the amount was fixed by them three years ago. I need hardly refer to the farce the incroasod representation (is likely to prove, but I fancy you will not often see the 14 gentlemen together, more especially if the provisions of the Act are to be strictly adhered to in the matter of travelling expenses, for I doubt very much if there are to be found many now-a-days patriotic enough to devote their time and money to oven a Charitable Aid Board, especially such long distance representatives as the gentlemen from Lichfield and Te Aroha, who will have to defray their own hotel expenses in Hamilton for at least two days for oach meeting, as well as giving their time from their business, The result of all this will bo that thp representation at each meeting will be far more unfair than it was before. Personally, lam far from being pleased at being elected on the new Board, for, apart from tho expense and loss of time, it is, I assure you, Mr Editor, anything but a bed of roses.—l am, &e., CHAS. M. Buuxskill. Taotaoron, pocair.t]or i'Jth,