HOSPITAL BOARDS’ FINANCE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 244, 9 July 1921, Page 9

HOSPITAL BOARDS’ FINANCE

THE COMMISSION’S REPORT PREMATURE DISCUSSION DEPRECATED The report of the Hospitals Commission is now in the hands of the Minister of Health (Hon. C. J. Parr), and may become available for publication within a few days. This commission was directed to make a study of hospital finance throughout New Zealand and to recommend to the Government, among other things, the basis upon which subsidies should be paid from the Consolidated Fund to hospital boards. When mentioning this report yesterday, the Minister said that ho had noticed a circular sent out by the Stratford Hospital Board, apparently to local bodies throughout the Dominion, asking support for the flairate system of subsidy. Ho thought that this move was ill-timed. "This course of action is, I think, quite improper until tho commission’s report has been considered and made public," said the Minister. "Any attempt to influence the Government while the matter is still sub judice is quite out of order. Full opportunity was given to all to air their opinions before the commission, and that was tho time when arguments in favour of any particular scheme should havo been brought forward." The Minister added that he had expressed his own opinion in Parliament last session that the flat rate would operate most inequitably. Some boards with large and prosperous districts were able to secure the money they required by striking a rate of one-tenth of a penny in the pound. But there were other districts, not so well off. that had to rate as high as lid. in the pound. He thought in any case that discussion of the matter ought to bo held over until the report of the commission had been made public.