STILL DELAYED

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20987, 14 December 1939, Page 10

STILL DELAYED

LEASE OF LAND HOSPITAL FOR ROTORUA OFFER OF BOARD CHAIRMAN Allegations that the delay for six years of the completion of the lease of the Pukeroa Reserve to the Waikato Hospital Board for the erection of adequate medical facilities had been due to persons outside the board were made by Mr F. Findlay, chairman of the board, at the meeting today. Mr Findlay offered the people of Rotorua every assistance from the hospital board if they desired to control their own hospital. All board members approved the chairman’s offer. In the meantime the inadequacy of the present Rotorua Hospital becomes critical. Cost To Ratepayers Mr Findlay said the delay over the erection of a new hospital at Rotorua had cost the ratepayers at least 25 per cent to 33 1-3 per cent additional in the cost of erection. He said he had purposely refrained from criticism ot Mr Jackson in an effort to facilitate negotiations, but he was not going to refrain from criticism any jonger. He said the Minister of Health, the Hon. P. Fraser, had offered the Rotorua Borough land in the very heart of Rotorua for recreation purposes in exchange for the Pukeroa Reserve. Mr Tai Mitchell, through Sir Apirana Ngata, M.P., had agreed, o» behalf of the Ngati Whakaue Maori tribe, to give the land to the hospital board, if the lease were vested in the Crown. The Rotorua council had passed a resolution urging the lease to be vested in a board of trustees and, as a result, the Minister now considered the whole matter would have to be re-opened. People Want Hospital Mr J. Banks said two Rotorua councillors had told him they had neard nothing of the offer of the Minister to give land in exchange for the reserve. “I do not think even 3 per cent of the people of Rotorua would object to the Waikato Hospital Board securing a lease of the land,” he added. The board today approved the following resolution of the House and Finance Committee:— “That the board adhere to the promise given by the Government at the time of handing over the Rotorua Hospital to the board; that is, that the board be granted a lease from the Crown for a term of 21 years and with a right of renewal for such time as the land is required for hospital purposes.” On the motion of Mr J. Price the board decided to dissociate itself from the resolution of the Rotorua Borough Council which urged the vestment of the lease in a board of trustees. The acting-Minister of Health, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, asked the board for its comments on the resolution.