HOSPITAL AFFAIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 30, 6 February 1939, Page 8

HOSPITAL AFFAIRS.

Mr. Howitt's almost prehistoric Ideas OU hospital management would be latigbftife If the interests of the unfortunate ratepayers had. not to be seriously considered, and taxation ever-increasing-. It seems'' strange that the unwarranted policy of spending that he now advocates is the complete reversal of the plausible statements made by hhn when addressing Xorth Shore ratepayers prior to the election. He resents any criticism, however necessary, to alter an obsolete order of things which in the interest of the falhali. ratepayers and the general public shoali » longer be allowed to continue. When Mr. Howitt says that every ward should be a recovery ward, he is advocating the retention of a system which has resulted in the exifctnf chaotic conditions which never would have occurred had not Mr. Howitt and other diehards refused to listen to the excellent advice of honorary doctors in the past. Mr. Howitt'i idea is to continue to make the hospital bigger when everyone conversant with hospital management knows, perfectly well that tbe existing institution is already unwieldly, and decentralisation is necessary in the interact* of economy, efficiency and expediency. Evidently neither the chairman nor any member ■ of the board has gone to the trouble to find out what extra staffing would cost in nection with the board's proposal, bnt«t, venture "to say that the huge total, if pifc lished, would make ratepayers take cold shivers. Of course, the more the ratepayer* are fleeced the easier for the Government to j dodge its national responsibility. Hence the f urgency of a. Royal Commission. If this M refused, the remedy is to refuse to pay the levy. Ratepayers' money is being spent like water, and the Mayor of Auckland should demand a commission immediately. JOHN GUINIVEN, Mayor of Takapuna.