"UNEASY FEELING,"

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 103, 4 May 1931, Page 8

"UNEASY FEELING,"

PATIENTS IN HOSPITAL GOVERNMENT'S DRASTIC CUT. ' ASSURANCE BY MR. WALLACE. "There seems to be an uneasy feeling among the patients about the future; Patients will not be discharged unless they are convalescent and unless they have a*decent home to-go to," said the chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, Mr. William Wallace, thie morning. Mr. Wallace did a round of the wards yesterday. In view of the Government's proposals, the secretary of the Hospital Boards' Association of New Zealand has written to the' Prime Minister:—"You will.be aware that hospital boards are making every endeavour to comply with' your request-for economy in expenditure, but the fixing of an arbitrary amount which is to be made available by way of Government subsidy, and which, is a considerable reduction below the figure intended by the Finance Act, will make it necessary for hospital boards to curtail their activities both by closing down a number of beds and reducing outdoor relief. The hospital boards require an assurance that all outdoor relief occasioned by unemployment ehall not be a charge on hospital funds, as this is the only approach to the reduction in expenditure which is required, unless treatment of patients is to be heavily curtailed. Should the Government adhere to its proposels > the curtailment will be entirely one of Government responsibility." J "It is scarcely believable that Ministers of the Crown will go round the country making statements that hospital boards have the power to relieve all cases of destitution caused by unemployment while the Treasury* is- curtailing the amount at the disposal of the boards," commented Mr. Wallace. "The Dunedin, North Canterbury and Wanganui boards have already passed resolutione that the boards decline all relief for unemployment, thue throwing all responsibility on the Government. _ I would not care to take the responsibility of doing so in Auckland. I would be afraid of the consequences."