HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 March 1939, Page 5

HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE

RATING PROPORTIONS. [peb pbesb association.] DUNEDIN. March 8. The proportion of the cost of hospital maintenance contributed through rates by' the urban and rural populations in New Zealand was discussed by the president (Mr T. Jordan) at to-day’s conference of the Municipal Association. The Farmers’ Union

was again advocating strongly and loudly the allocation of the cost on a population basis, said Mi' Jordan, although the urban districts were already paying most of the money.

“The Farmers’ Union." said Mr Jordan, "still seems to think that the farming community is paying the greater part, of the bill. In fact, to hear what some of them say, one would think they paid the whole lot. Actually' figures show that Hie ratio of urban rating for hospitals to that cf rural rating is 51 to 49.”

A voice: What about patients? Who provides most of the patients?

Mr Jordan: 1 tun not concerned about, the number of patients. I am dealing with rating and maintenance costs.

Continuing, Air Jordan said’ that county councils and road boards paid £295,221. or 49 per cent, of the total hospital rating. The remaining 51 per cent, or about. £306.727, was paid by cities and boroughs. Those figures, Im felt, were not generally known, but Im thought that if they were there would be less clamour by farmers for rating on a. population basis, especially since the proportions were urban 59.(i4 per cent, of population and rural 40.36 per cent. In conclusion, Mr Jordan said that the attitude of the Farmers' Union was surprising in view of the fact that in 1926 al. a conference among the Municipal. Hospital, and Counties’ Associations (he president of the lastnamed (Mi' C. J. Talbot) said that the conference had been called to settle such questions for all time. Apparently the Farmers’ Union was not prepared to take that view.

| In his annual report to the conference. (he president stated that, agreement had been reached between the Counties' Association and the Municipal Association that the Government. should be asked to consider raising the whole of the money' required for hospital purposes by a tax on wages and salaries, or. alternately, to provide an increased subsidy. Unfortunately, owing to the early date of the General Election and the intervention of the Summer holidays, it was not possible to arrange a convenient. fixture with the Minister. He had now received an invitation to' join the Counties’ Association in a deputation to rhe Minister of Health c-n March 16, which was rhe earliest date that the Counties' Association had been able to arrange.