HOSPITAL RATING

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 60, Issue 4342, 11 October 1950, Page 6

HOSPITAL RATING

NO RELIEF IN SIGHT

REPLY FROM MINISTER

PAEROA FARMERS’ MEETING

“The serious increase in the hospital costs, even since the levy has been stabilised and the greatly increased aggregate of subsidies to hospital boards, which the Government is called to meet make it impracticable for any immediate relief to be given local bodies in this matter,” wrote Mr W. H. Fortune, Minister assisting the Prime Minister, in a letter to the provincial secretary, Auckland, of Federated Farmers.

The letter was in reply to ai. enquiry from the Auckland provincial secretary as to the intentions of the Government as to the implementation of what was understood to be the declared policy of the present Government on hospital rating.

Mr Fortune, in addition, stated in reply that the Government was bc.und by many commitments entered '.nto by its predecessors in office and it was regretted that, those commitments could not be reduced immediately to the extent desired without creating anomalies and detrimental effects.

The question of hospital finance and administration was being examined but the Government had not yet ■had the opportunity to give full consideration to the policy in that respect, concluded Mr Fortune. The letter written by Mr Fortune, was read at the October meeting of the Paeroa .branch of Federated Farmers, the secretary, Mr J. E. Silcock, lemarking, that apparently nothing could be done to obtain a reduction in hospital rates.