THE HOSPITALS BILL

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 195, 16 August 1923, Page 3

THE HOSPITALS BILL

" A STEP FORWARD,

OPINION IN AUCKLAND

OBLIGATIONS OF SMALL

HOSPITALS.

<T consider it a step in the light direction; anything is better than the present system." renin rked Mr. W. Wallace. chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, to an interviewer this morning when discussing the proposals of tho bill. He stated that now the (Joveriiment allowed a subsidy of 10/ in the £ only up to £500 on bequests, and that appeared to him obviously unfair. That defect would be rectified by the new proposals which removed the limit. So far as the subsidy on levies was concerned. the Auckland Board was getting i>i>/:S in the £ when he joined the iioard eight or nine years ago. and as the valuation of Hip district increased and expenditure went up the Government paid less each year till nt the present, time the Board was getting only 13/3 in the £ subsidy <.v local bodies* contributions. If they pot £ for £ tilings would be much more satis.--factory.

'•There is one thing which should he made perfectly clear," added Mr. VYallafo. "That is that the Hospital Commission made a recommendation lhat the smaller hospitals should contribute n portion of their levy to the capital expenditure in the hasp hospitals, so that in thp event of their having special ca«es they would have the right to send them to the base hospitals for special treatment. Tn the smaller hospitals they have not the equipment and the specialists which arc available in the large centres, and applications are being constantly made fur the admission to the Auckland Hospital, and the other base hospitals, of special cases, which in the name of common humanity cannot be disregarded."

Mr. Wallah added that he and Mr. K. H. Potter were awaiting advice from the South in order to join a deputation from the Dnnedin district at Wellington to wait on the Prime Minister for the purpose of discussing the proposal that the smaller hospitals should contribute a portion of their subsidy on levies to the baso hospitals for the purpose ha liad mentioned.

The Auckland Board's levy aTllie present time, lie concluded, was ."22d, being a reduction from .26d the previous year, and in view ol the fae-t that every point of reduction meant £4000 he thought the Board, considering the big building J programme it had in hand, ««« r.-> !.« congratulated ou it* administration.