UNPALATABLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 99, 29 April 1938, Page 11

UNPALATABLE.

FINANCIAL PILL.

HOSPITAL BOARD LEVY

MAYOR'S STRONG CRITICISM

Tin- -I -Mi. of the Auckland Hospital nmiiil ' i'lcn'si-i- tlic lily Coiincil'a lew thi- }•■■' !,v :ippru\ininU»ly £-J:s,r>oo was pnniiiM'iiii .1 i>M by tlr- Mayor, Sir Krnest Mini-. :'i I'l-i nights meeting of the Aiiekl.i'iJ lily Council. The increased levy u.cil.l bring tin: council , * annual pn\ I'H'ir ii|< in £57.."i77, ho sai<l. '■Aliii-'H'.'li it is not my desire to pn_r;i'j'- in .my long range nil no till j; I feel 1 inii—l direct public intention to the board* said Sir Ernest. One'-; r.-action to tlie increased lew is a fci'l'ni'i "I' i'oii<U<nuitinn since the amount the council is required to find for the Hcnpit.il Hoard's financial requirement* f.ir tln- riiriciit financial year will be a sum n.■■■■■■ than double the receipts for rental- i'f ■■ity endow nient<, or twice the pvpciulil ni parks ami reserves, or iiliniii t "iir lil'tliri of our expenditure on

"The new levy, if adopted, would invnlvp sin increase in the hospital rate of 2|d in tin- t. bringing the rate to 8d in the £. which is a lljrure unprecedented fur Auckland.

"Tii 'jiM' ciunicilliirs some idea of the rrrnwtli of the levy in the last two dccndei I would mention that whereas the lijinv in l!il<l-2() was £1(i.t)47. £51,723 in l!i-J!) :!(> and fli:{.O:iS in 1037-38, the sum fur l!i:!S I! , .) as proposed by the board will In- £57..">"". Although T "concede to no one riiv interest in the welfare of the sick iiiul nei'.-ly, I find the present financial pill dispensed by the Hospital Hoard innst nii|i;ila tiible.

"What action should be taken to meet the higher levy in, of course, a question for Hie division by the incoming council, but tin , position, as 1 view it, is «o grave as to warrant a comprehensive ovcrlinul of the incidence of hospital (nxiitiiHi generally. This obviously cniild bc>«t lie undertaken by a Coverntiieiit Coininiesion of Inquiry."