HOSPITAL LOAN

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 4 May 1928, Page 6

HOSPITAL LOAN

ANNUAL REPAYMENTS REDUCTION NOT APPROVED. CURRENT YEAR’S RATE, A levy of 2s 6il in the £IOO for the current financial year on tlie rateable capital value of the Hawera Hospital Hoard’s district was decided upon Oy the board at a ispecial meeting • yesterday, when the discussion of the estimates, which wag ,adjourned at the special meeting last month, was finalised. There were present: Messrs 3. SMcKay (chairman), E. J. Clifford, M. C. Grighton, E. A. Washer, T. A. Winks, A. L. Campbell, A. G. Laroom, and G. W. Tayler. Discussion on the estimates had been adjourned at the former meeting pending receipt of a reply from the Minister of Health to a request that he give consent to the proposal that the board reduce its repayment of loan overdraft from £BOOO to £4OOO annually, and to extend the period accordingly. At yesterday ’ s meeting a letter was received from the Director-General of Health (Dr. T. H. A. Vaiintine) advising that the Minister could not see his way to give approval to the proposal. Thi s meant that the original arrangement would stand and the board would have to retain in the estimates the £BOOO for loan repayment and would be unable to 1 reduce last year’s irate of 2s ojd to 2g 4d, as would have been possible by reducing the loan repayment, though a reduction of 2£d on the amount proposed at the last meeting was made possible by a course recommended by the Minister. REASONS FOR REJECTION. Giving reasons for the Minister's refusal to endorse the proposal to reduce the annual repayment, the DirectorGeneral referred to the sum of £2250 allowed for in the estimates in respect ol' levies and subsidies outstanding at the end of the year. “There is no necessity to promise such an item, as such temporary shortage can be met by a temporary overdraft, and! at the conclusion of the year by an advance on account of subsidy,” stated the DirectorGeneral. “After deleting such item, it i»a found that your total levy f.or capital and maintenance will amount to ,297 d in the £1 as against ,295 d last year, the latest increase in levy ’ being only £lO6 owing to your rate of maintenance' subsidy rising from 17s to £ll®. In your estimates for the coming year you have provided for, in addition to your ordinary needs, the sum of £1502 to meet the commencing overdraft. This, provided yon keep within your estimates, should not be required next year. Further, you will have £560 less to find for loan" interest next year. Theerfore it shows your position as. improving yearly.” The letter concluded by stating that the Minister would approve the estimates if the item of £2250 referred to was deleted, but unless at could be shown that the expenditure of £BOOO in loan repayment was' going to impose a greater burden on the rates than was the ease last year, or that there was any other good reason why vhe hospital rate should be reduced below that of j last year, the Minister could not con)sent to the proposal to lecluco the annual payment of the loan. LOCAL BODY CONTRIBUTIONS. A schedule tabled by the secretary (Air C. E. Raggett) based on a ifevy of 2;S 6d showed tnat the total for the ypar would be £13,011 12s, as compared with £12,763 16s for the year ended March 31, 1928, on valuations totalling £lO,409,147 in respect of the current year as compared with £10,383,049 in the previous your, the total monthly instalments being £IOB4 6s, compared with £1063 13s previously. Details showing the valuation of property in the respective local body areas, the! total levy for the year and the. total monthly instalments for the year ending March 31, 1929, with corresponding figures for the year ended March 31, 1928, in parenthesis were as follow :

Hawera County.—Valuation, £3,331,642 (£3,327,010; total levy, £4164 12 (£4094 8s); monthly instalments, £347 Is (£341 4s). Eitham County.—Valuation, £2,652,003 (£2,657,411); total levy, £3315 (£3268 16s); monthly instalments 1 , £276 os (£272 8s). Waimuto West County.—Valuation, £2,092,230 (£2,095,245)1 total levy, £2615 8s (£2577 12s); monthly instalment, £217 19s (£214 16s). Hawera Borough—Valuation £1,673,596 (£1,649,601); total levy, £2092 4s (£2029 16s); monthly instalment, £174 7s (£169 3s). Eitham Borough.—Valuation, £549,611 (£543,717); total levy, £687 (£658 4s); monthly instalment, £57 5s (£54 17s). * Manaia. Town Board.. — Valuation, £110,065 (£110,065); total levy, £137 Ss (£135) ; monthly instalment., £ll 9s (£ll ss). The secretary explained that the estimates had been re-cast, deleting the sum of £2250 as recommended by the Director-General. In view of tire reduction, he urged that local bodies be requested to make prompt payments, of the monthly contributions, as until these had actually been lodged the board could not obtain the departmental subsidy. Further, it would be necessary that the board’s expenditure should be kept within tji© estimates. On the motion of Mr Winks, seconded by Mr Campbell, the amended estimates were approved and it was decided to make the levy of 2s 6d in the £IOO on the rateable value of the board’s district.

In accordance with the secretary's suggestion, members were asked to explain the position with reference to payment of levy .and request that the monthly contributions be forwarded promptly.