HOSPITAL LEVIES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 89, 13 January 1928, Page 6

HOSPITAL LEVIES

COUNTY COUNCIL’S PROTEST I DISCUSSION BY BOARD Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, January 12. “That the council views, with alarm the statement recently mude by the chairman of the Palmerston; North Hospital Board that in all probability it will be necessary to increase the amount of contributions leview on rlocal bodies for the next financial ye ir. In the opinion of this council the) burden of rates colletced from the counties for hospital purposes is already extremely heavy in proportion to tlift population living within their areas, And any increase will be a serious matter for the countv ratepayers.” The foregoing resolution,, which was passed at a recent meeting of the Manawat Countv Council was to-day placed before a me'eting of the Hospital Board and came up for after which lhe board decided that a circular letter, showing how hospital revenue was collected and spent, be prepared by the secretary and sent out. “1 think they are under a good deal of misapprehension,” saic.l Mr. G. A. Monk, who moved that tl.ie letter mentioned be sent out. “They do not Realise what a low subsidy rye are getting We trv our best to keep expenses down, and it is easv tor any local body to pass protests about the amounts they have to pav. but I notice they offer no suggestions as to how we are going to '--eep our expenses down. It\ any case, if they feel that wav about it, and if any protest is going to be made, they can be made through the (Health Department. I think a resolution such as that should be made through the Department.” Mr. J. K. Hornblow’ agreed with Mr. Monk and seconded the latter’s motion. The local bodies, he thought, needed more informa'.ion. The facts as outlined in the managing secretary’s report, stated the chairman (Sir james Wilson), were sufficient justification for the statement he had made at the previous meeting of the board- There were 20 more occupied beds in the hospital than had been estimated for, and it was good evidence of the board’s economical policy that the cost of maintenance per bed had been so reduced.