DEFICIT OF £391

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 225, 19 June 1936, Page 2

DEFICIT OF £391

Free Ambulance

Finance

RISING EXPENSES

Minister To Be Interviewed

Showing a deficit of £391 on the past year’s working (to Alarch 31), the honorary treasurer of the AVellington Free Ambulance, Air. J. AV. Jack, presented a draft balance sheet to the monthly meeting of the board yesterday. Mr. Jack said he wished to refer to only one or two items. The ambulance cars had registered more mileage as the demand for service increased. On tbe other hand, there were some items showing an increase which may not actually be the case of stationery, of which they might have a supply lasting well into the year. The cost of petrol was upf in consequence of tbe increased mileage, and the cost of licences and registrations had risen by £9. Building repairs were also up. The cars had been written down 20 per cent. “Is that on the reduced balance or on the original cost?” asked the chairman (Air. C. J. B. Norwood). “That is on the reduced balance,” said Mr. Jack. “I think that is pretty drastic,” said the president. “Even on the original value it would mean only five years, and we have been running these cars between seven and a half and eight years. On our experience it might be better to work it out on a basis of six years’, service.” Mr. G. Mitchell drew attention to an increase of £272 in salaries as a result of the restoration of the cuts, and pointed out that fhe board had not yet felt the effect on wages of the new legislation. Petrol and oil amounted to £l6O, too. Did it not bring up the question ouce more us to the manner in which an indispensable public service was being loaded up on those items? Should they not get the same rebate as is given to farmers, fishermen and in the ease of aeroplanes? That would mean a little over £3OO, and would largely reduce the deficit. Here was the board with a deficit of nearly £4OO on tbe past year’s working, with the prospect of a further increase in the wages for this year. Air. A. J. McCurdy pointed out that the deficit would not have been so much had they not entered into the superannuation scheme.

“Still, in order to carry on the service we have to find the money,” said Mr. Mitchell, “and it seems to me that with tbe increases entailed in connection with recent legislation we have to look forward to an increased loss this year.” , Like some of the local bodies, they did not know exactly where they were yet, commented Mr. 0. H. Chapman. It was suggested in the course of a desultory discussion that local bodies might be asked to increase their donations, as, after all, the increase in the cost of the service was due largely to the increase in population and the corresponding increase in the number of eases that required ambulance assistance. It was also mentioned that the Free Ambulance was due for a street day a little later on, which might yield anything from £l5O to £2OO. Air. Chapman thought that as some of the local bodies were not paying now what they originally paid (per annum) they should be asked to increase their subsidy. Air. AV. Cole: AVhat we want are guaranteed prices! (Laughter.) Air. Chapman thought that all local bodies should be asked to raise their contributions by 10 per cent. Conference of Local Bodies. The president said that since the last meeting of the board he had seen the Mayor of AVellington (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop), who had agreed to call a meeting of representatives of local bodies after they saw where they were in respect to the conditions that were being imposed oh them, when the matter could be discussed. In the past the local bodies had been quite liberal, but there was never any certainty about it.- There were only three bodies who had kept up their original annual payments—the AVellington HarbourBoard, the Hutt County Council and the Johnsonville Town Board; otherwise the contributions from local bodies had been very much reduced, lie would be distressed it’ the board had to come upon the accumulated fund, which be took it was reserved for any special emergency, such as a big epidemic or disaster, when special service would be requisitioned. For that reason he regarded that fund as sacred. Now it seemed as though it was going to Ik; slightly encroached upon; if so he hoped that the amount would soon be restored. He would like to see that fund maintained at £lO,OOO, and that with no other object than the public interest. In the past they had been able to get a reasonable return on that money by way of interest, but under the new conditions that was being reduced to 3 per cent., which, compared with the past, meant another loss. Appeal to the Minister of Finance. Mr. Norwood said he would like the approval of the board to approach tbe Minister of Finance once more for some relief in the matter of petrol tax | on the same basis as that extended to i fanners, fishermen and the Air Force. If the Minister found it impossible to give that relief direct some other way might he found of giving relief. Then there were the new conditions to be faced, involving the 40-hour week. If the service was to be maintained on its present basis such conditions were going to be very exacting. c 'o far as the staff was concerned they had never given tlie board a moment’s anxiety, lint the new conditions would pile up the expense so high that tlie awkward position created could not but be in the knowledge of the Minister of Finance.

Air. Chapman said that this was a special service not run for gain. It was service for service' sake, and be thought some special arrangement might be made, though lie could not say anything definite on the point. On the motion of Air. Mitchell, the matter of interviewing the Alinistcr on the points raised was left in the hands of the president.