Greymouth Evening Star. MONDAY, JULY 29, 1946. Hospital Rate Relief

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 July 1946, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. MONDAY, JULY 29, 1946. Hospital Rate Relief

'WHEN the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, was approached last month by a deputation representing the Municipal and Counties’ Associations, he gave a negative answer to the request that the recommendation for hospital rating relief made by the Select Committee on Local Government should be implemented. In fact Air. Fraser was unusually vehement and uncompromising in expressing his refusal. An extraordinary change seems to have occurred since then for last week it was announced that 17 of the hardestpressed local bodies are to be given Government relief from hospital levies this year to the total, extent of £31,000. It would appear that either Air. Fraser lias changed his mind —second thoughts are often wiser—or that he has found the majority within the Government ranks to be against him. When Air. Fraser gave such an unsympathetic reception to the local bodies’ deputation, it was apparent that his remarks were directed towards placating that group of zealous followers on which he can rely for support, in right and in wrong, and which, because they may be affected, do not desire to sec a change to a more equitable system of hos- ■ pital finance. Air. Fraser is also aware, however, that included among the ratepayers is a large number of members of the Labour movement. He cannot overlook, too, that the members of the Select Committee which recommended a change in the system included a majority of Labour ALP.’s’.

The problem facing the Prime Minister; is how to hold the support of both groups. To use a sporting terra, he is obviously playing for time. He has made a gesture to the ratepayers, which by implication gives promise of further relief to come and which no doubt he hopes will suffice to placate them until Labour can negotiate the General Election hurdle. Mr. Fraser is not at all sure about Labour’s prospects. The Government’s plan for the payment of hospital rate subsidies to contributory local bodies will give much-needed relief in the districts to which it will have application. When the figures of hospital costs are considered, however, it will be readily seen that on a. national plane it does not go nearly far enough. In 1936-37 the hospital boards spent £211,500 on capital works, of which £86,000 came from loan money. In 1944-45 the estimated capital expenditure was £2,951,000 of which loans were expected to provide £2,300,000. The Select Committee in its report showed that the hospital debt charges since 1937-38 had increased by over 100 per cent, in six years and. that when Ihe heavy borrowings of 1943-44 came to charge the figures would show another

very large increase. “Much of the increase in expenditure,” the comm if tee’s report said, “has been due to increasing hospitalisation of patients. This, in turn, is closely related to the institution of the social security system.” It is an unassailable fact that the hospital service has developed into a national one, and therefore its cost should be borne equitably by the whole community.

The Paris Conference

PUROPE, to use the words of a British iLLd press correspondent is in a sorry mess. There is obviously radical disagreement between the Western Powers, on the one hand, and Russia, on the other, as to what shape the future of that unhappy Continent is to take. It is in this atmosphere that the Peace Conference is to meet to-day—a conference which is now officially referred to as the Paris Conference.

While the world may reasonably hope that the Paris meeting of the delegates of the 21 nations which fought.against the Axis forces in Europe will make definite progress with the task of establishing

peace on a. firm, basis, it. is difficult to see at this juncture how it will be able to do any more than, record the opinions of here

the majority or express protests w such seem desirable. Practically speaking, its work has been limited, to approving the peace terms for Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland. The wider

problems of the future of Germany ami Austria will not come within its scope, and neither will condition,s in those countries in Eastern Europe now under Russian domination. A settlement in Europe which does not provide for a just solution of the problems of the Continent as a whole cannot Be regarded as giving promise of the stability which has long been sought. That is the long-range objective which must be pursued by peaceful negotiation if fertile ground is not to be provided for the seeds of future conflict.