HOSPITAL BOARDS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 134, 4 December 1930, Page 15

HOSPITAL BOARDS

EXECUTIVE MEETING

US EMPLOYMENT QUESTION

A mooting ,o£ tho exeeulivo of the Hospital Boards Association was held yesterday. Mr. 'W. Wallace (Auckland) ni-osided, and there were also present 1 Messrs. -W. X S. Knight (Otago), 0. ■jl. Luke (Wellington), 11. J. Otloy (Canterbury), Hon. W. U. M'lutyre (Buller), J. H. M( Carroll (Kaipura), J. K."Hornblow (Palmeriton North), and P. GiUanders (Hawcra). . The unfavourable position m wJucJi , hospital boards arc placed in the rais- ■ A'ag'oS loans.on the open market tor the icason that tho debentures of. hospital boards are outsido the range of authorised trustee securities, was discussed. A further lotted in connection there- . ■with from the PriW Minister was considered, and it was contended that the Government should bq further urged to accedo to the long-standing request of hospital boards, because if hospital < - board debentures were trustee securities the boards could readily obtain necessary funds at a much moie favourable rate of interest, thus easing the burden on ratepayers and on the Consolidated Fund. As remits to the biennial conference bearing on the question are being brought forward by several boards, further discussion was deferred until tho conference. »-' The very heavy burden placed on hospital boards on account of outdoor re- - Kef caused through unemployment was " further discussed. It was considered ■Ihat, pending the framing of the Unemployment Board's policy,, and in view of ••the fact that a lemit is going before the conference, further consideration of the question, might be deferred until then. , , . ■ Various phases of .tho unemployment •' question were reviewed. Mr. Knight mentioned that the Government would be well advised to take steps to restrict the influx of. unemployed from other countries, which might occur as •ihe natural result of tho unemployed problem being substantially relieved m this country. The residential clause m the Lncm- ' ploymont Bill, it was fell, would have the effect of throwing the liability on to hospital boards in the case uf indigent Diew arrivals, and the relief which hospital boards hope to obtain under the "Unemployment Act might thereby to a -'- certain extent be cancelled. ' Under the amendment to the Nurses r and Midwives Registration Act a repre- - tentative of the hospital boards is to be appointed to tho Nurses and Midwives ■ ".Registration Board upon the recommendation of the Hospital Boards' Assoem- ■ -lion, It was proposed by .Mr. J. K. ' Hornblow and seconded by Mr. U J.YL. • Luke that tho president of the association, Mr. William'WalUice, be"nominated for the position. _ The resolution ;was unanimously carried.