ADDITIONAL COST

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 6, 7 July 1938, Page 10

ADDITIONAL COST

Dealing with its recommendations, the Commission states:— "In comparing the total cost of these proposals, viz., £863,075, with the estimated cost of £750,000 contemplated in the board's original project, the following facts must be borne in mind:— "(a) A separate hospital service is being provided for the Hutt Valley, including a maternity hospital and fulltime out-patient department. "(b) The total bed accommodation in both areas is 28 more than in the original proposal, the estimated cost of which would be £22,400. "(c) Accommodation for an additional 50 nurses is being provided in the Hutt Valley. This is estimated at £30,000. "(d) The estimate includes some £25,000 in respect of miscellaneous works which the board apparently proposed to provide out of capital levy." The further loan moneys now required to be authorised by the Local Government Loans Board are £57,644 for the Wellington Hospital and £185,781 for the Hutt Valley Hospital, and the Commission states that an application for the total of £243,425 should therefore be substituted for that of £159,250 at present before the Loans Board. PAYMENT OF COSTS. The Commission directs) that the fol-

lowing sums are to be paid to the Crown in respect of costs:—Wellington, £397 7s 7d; Lower Hutt, £49 10s id; Petone, £29 14s 6d; Upper Hutt, £5 18s; Eastbourne, £6.16s lOd; Hutt County, £29 5s 7d; Makara County £11 16s lOd; Johnsonville Town Board, £3 6s 4d. It is pointed out that if a direction were given that the costs be paid by the Hospital Board, then under ; the subsidy system virtually half the amount when received into the Consolidated Fund would be paid out again from that fund. In order that any part of the expense of the Commission may wholly be locally borne it appears necessary to direct that payment be made directly by the contributory local bodies, and the Commission directs accordingly, the sums being apportioned in the same way as last year's local levies.

The personnel of the Commission was as follows:—Mr. H. A. Young, principal Stipendiary Magistrate of Christchurch; Mr. D. S. Wylie, medical practitioner, of Palmerston North, and Dr. H. Hardwicke-Smith, medical practi-. tioner, of Wellington. At the inquiry Mr. A. E. Currie (Crown Solicitor), represented the Crown, Mr. J. O'Shea (City Solicitor), the contributory local bodies, and Mr. G. R. Powles the Wellington Hospital Board.