HOSPITAL LEVIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 92, 19 April 1941, Page 11

HOSPITAL LEVIES

NOT FAIR TO COUNTRY

INFORMATION TO BE SOUGHT

Commenting on the increased Hospital Board levies, Mr. S. Blackley, chairman of the Hutt County Council, stated at a meeting of the. council yesterday that the contributions required for hospital maintenance were not fairly proportioned between ratepayers and users of the hospital, and some more equitable basis of contribution should be adopted. Local bodies, he pointed out, had no say in the expenditure, but they had to raise the levies demanded. Ratepayers in the county made less use of the hospital than those resident in the more closely settled areas where accidents and epidemics were more prevalent. County ratepayers might well say in regard to hospital rates that never had so much been paid by so few for so little. During the last few years much loan money had been lying idle and carrying interest, which, of course, had to be paid for by the ratepayers. No real progress on efficient lines had been made by the Hospital Board, the members of which were not a happy family. Relief to the ratepayers was supposed; to come from social security, but it was now quite apparent that the representations made by the local bodies to the Government that the social security grant was insufficient were well founded. It was emphasised that there could j be no opposition to the Hospital Board spending money to provide for soldiers! returning from the, front, but the time had come to inquire into the hospital population question. ILLNESS AND PLEASURE. Mr. J. J. Maher wanted to know why there was so much illness now: was it due to too much pleasure? The council decided to place no opposition in the way of- the proposed temporary measures, but expressed the opinion that further loans should not be raised, without full facts being placed before,the ratepayers. "Good business methods are needed even in the alleviation of suffering," commented Councillor Maher, who added that the Hospital Board was not working on efficient lineg and, as trustee for the ratepayers, he felt bound to protest against its methods. / It was also decided to ask the Hospital Board to furnish a return showing the number of patients admitted from the county.