FINANCING PUBLIC HOSPITALS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 241, 8 July 1938, Page 6

FINANCING PUBLIC HOSPITALS

Idea Of State Lotteries

AUCKLAND LOCAL BODIES DEFER CONSIDERATION

By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, July 7.

The institution of State lotteries and sweepstakes to finance the public hospitals of the Dominion, in place of the present system of levies on local bodies, was a suggestion considered by a conference of Auckland local bodies held to consider the hospital levy. It was first advanced in a memorandum from the One Tree Hill Borough Council and was subsequently incorporated in a motion introduced by Mr. E. I‘. Andrews, a member of the city council. Mr. Andrews moved : “That, in view of the necessity for maintaining every facility in the care and treatment of the sick and needy, it is the opinion of this meeting that the Government might consider to its advantage the advisability of providing all the finance required for the administration and maintenance of hospital services by means of State-conducted sweepstakes and lotteries.” The motion also suggested that a referendum should he conducted on the question at the general election.

“The motion is intended to be simply a suggestion to the Government,’ Mr. Andrews stated. At present large sums were raised by means of the totalisator tax without complaint and he pointed to the manner in which the system of financing hospitals by State lotteries was applied in .Australia. Every year thousands of pounds left New Zealand for Tasmanian sweepstakes, and he had been informed that New Zealand contributions constituted 38 per cent, of the total. If a referendum' were taken, he felt there would be an overwhelming majority in favour of the innovation.

Opposing the motion, Mr. J. Guiniven, mayor of Takapuna, said he thought such a scheme would be placing a premium upon gambling. There was far Loo much at present, and he believed it to be a wrong precedent.

The mayor of New Lynn, Mr. A. T. Reiman, who seconded the motion, said the scheme would be a fit and proper method of it were approved at a referendum of the people. Miss Ellen Melville, a member of the city council, expressed the opinion that local body representatives should not be asked to express an opinion on the question without consulting the people with whom they were concerned. It was unanimously decided to defer consideration.