"STRUGGLE ALONG."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 135, 9 June 1932, Page 3

"STRUGGLE ALONG."

HOSPITAL BOARDS' TASK. appeal by minister. FURTHER ECONOMIES DESIRED. (B.v Telegraph.—rress Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Some important aspects of hospi'.u board finance were reviewed by tli: Minister, the Hon. J. A. Young, in opening the Hospital Boards' Conference, lie made reference to the economic - that had been effected, saying tliev were most encouraging. Some boards had done exceptionally well. A few ha,! not. perhaps, shown themselves to be fully alive to the difficulties confronting the country and the need for searching out all possible means of casing the burden of local and general taxation for hospital and charitable aid purposes.

"There was undoubtedly still scope, o". the part of some boards, for increasing the charges for maintenance and treatment. It should be regarded as fundamental to the system that patients able to pay the cost of treatment should be required to pay. The boards as a wlioi". had to make up deficiencies of, in the aggregate, about £85,000, brought, forward from last year. The steps being taken bv the Unemployment Board to relieve hospital boards of the greater part of their past burden oT unemployment relief would make the Department's and the board's' problems so much less embarrassing. Xeverthele--,-. for this year the estimated requirements for outdoor relief were approximately the same as the amount provided on the Estimates vast year- - £131.000 this year, against £178,000 la,t yiv The difficulties confronting board-v.-ci. fully appreciated by the Government. It could not be' too strongly emphasised, however, that the financial resowces of the Government were tlii - year considerably decreased, compare ! with last year, andi they must endeavour to struggle along with a reduced allocation for subsidies for hospital board purposes. He appealed for the continuance of efforts to effect savings in maintenance costs, and generally to ease the load on local ratepayers and general taxpayers.