HOSPITAL FINANCE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 51, 24 November 1941, Page 5

HOSPITAL FINANCE

Farmers’ Union Viewpoint

“I would like to comment briefly on the statements of Mr. P. Al. Butler, of the General Labourers’ Union, on hospital finance,” said Mr. .A. P. O’Shea, secretary of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union.

“Air. Butler fails altogether to point out that the present system of hospital taxation was instituted at a time when the patient had to pay a portion of the cost directly, and there was thus some cheek on the use of hospitals,” lie continued. "Air. Butler will know that today many cases are being nursed in the hospitals which were previously nursed in homes, and that the inducement is all in the direction of this. The whole basis of hospital service has been altered, and it is considered by the Farmers’ Union that it is only fair, therefore,- that the Incidence of the tax should be altered, ft is noteworthy that the union has a supporter in this regard in no less a 1 person than the present Alinister of Health, Mr. Nordmeyer. "Mr. Butler used as argument the fact that there are 70,000 electors on the municipal roll, of whom only 22,500 are ratepayers. Mr. Butler must know that in a very large proportion of cases more than one adult person (apart from Ink wife) lives with a ratepayer in the person of members of his family, and, therefore, it would be fair to say that ratepayers and their dependants are probably in the majority.”