HOSPITAL RATE

Hutt News, Volume 16, Issue 7, 15 July 1942, Page 5

HOSPITAL RATE

IN CREAS E C RITICI ZED A consolidated rate of one shilling in Liie £ on unimproved vaiUe was struck by formal resolution oi the Lower Hutt City Council on Monday night, and a further resolution agreed to remission of per cent, of assessments if payment is made within 30 days of due uate. Cr. Campbell raised the question of the steady increase m the levy for hospital purposes. This amounted to double taxation. it cost the ratepayer 2Ad' in the 1/-. Out of £20 in rates, £5 went to the Hospital Board. It was an anomoly over which the Council had no control. This year,. s he said, tne Lower HutL City's allocation was £20,b»JD, an amount equal to one-fifth of the total consolidated rate struck and it is a charge levelled through social security on ratepayers. The city's share of the hospital costs had risen by-. £8000 in the past two years, Cr. Campbell continued, ifnd this hau largely been provided by making a reduction in street works. The streets were going back fast and it" the war went on very long a very large increase in rating would be ne.cessary to restore them. The mayor, "Mr. Andrews, agreed with Cr. Campbell about tne rising hospital rate, and said that street maintenance' had' -been considered by those concerned in the preparing oi

the rating' demand, it had been ieu that under the labour conditions at present it would be very diilicult to carry out the necessary work even ii' provision were made. Air. Andrews said that some measure of relief for the hospitals had been announced yi the past few days in the granting of an increase in the daily rate to be paid by the Government for soldiers treated. Whether that relief would be reflected in a rebate on later payments this year or would be shown in a reduction of the hospital levy next year could not yet be said. Councillor W. Gregory said he thought more should be done by the Government in exploring the possibility of preventing disease. The Minister of Health had recently stated that the Social Security Fund was in a healthy condition. It would have been better if lie could have said the people wore in a healthier condition. He quoted figures of the results attained in British factories which had experimented in preventive measures.