HOSPITAL LEVIES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 136, 9 May 1928, Page 2

HOSPITAL LEVIES

INCREASE OPPOSED. MANAWATU COUNTY’S VIEWS. Official notification of the increase in its levy to the Palmerston North Hospital Board was received at yesterday’s meeting of the Manawatu County Council from Mr A. J. Phillipps, managing .secretary, who also forwarded a statement of receipts and expenditure during the past year.

The letter informing the council of tho increase in the levy was as follows: —“It will bo noticed that there is an increase in the levy this year. This increase is due to a considerable increase in the activities of this board. Firstly, as regards the Palmerston North Hospital, the average number of patients at the present time is showing an increase of between 40 and 50 over tho figures for twelve months ago, and tho board is thus forced to find additional money to cope with the increase in patients. The Maternity Home is being opened this year and an increase in the contributions is necessary to meet tho expenditure in this direction. Further, ihe board will shortly bo opening a cottage hospital at Otaki and it is necessary to provide funds for its maintenance. The board would like to point out, however, for the information of contributing bodies that, as regards the cost of maintenance of its main institution, this board shows a lower cost per patient treated .than any other hospital of similar size in' New Zealand. Further, there i3no 1 hospital of a similar size with as low a rate as that in Palmerston North. The board, however, fully realises its responsibility to ratepayers as regards increasing tho levies, and full and careful consideration has been given to tho preparation of the board's financial estimates this year with a view to keeping tho increase necessary down to a minimum. The booard is not at all satisfied with tho present rate of Government subsidy and intends pressing for some improvement in tho present position. We are receiving a maintenance subsidy for the current year at the net rate of 15s 5d in the £1 of levy.” Attached was a schedule of contribution moneys among the various local bodies and, quoting from it, the county clerk (Mr A. K. Drew) said that the capital and maintenance levy from the (Manawatu County last year was £2349. This year it had been raised to £2895, an increase of £545. This sum would mean an increase in tho county hospital rate of onesixteenth of a penny, making the total hospital rate . this year approximately fivo sixteenths of a penny on tho capital value of the county. * Cr Porrett asked what the rate of contribution of tho Palmerston North Borough Council was, and the county clerk stated that it was about the same as that of tho county. Tho borough had to pay just over £SOOO and tho county close on £3OOO.

Cr Perrett stated that the cost per head of tho population was much fUgher in the county than in the town. Referring to the opening of the cottage hospital at Otaki, the speaker said that Dr Valintino was right when ho stated that these hospitals were a large drain on tho expenses of hospital boards and he favoured centralisation of the medical institutions.

As regards the running of the Palmerston North institution, Cr Perrett considered that tho board had done its work very well and it was not on the score of maintenance that the levy had been increased.

The chairman (Cr W. E. Barber) said that the cottage hospital question was certainly a big one and one that could only be settled by a commission.

Cr I’errcct said that there was no doubt that tho levy to the hospital should be taken on a population basis. At present the county people were paying much more per capita while the capital valuation basis of levying tho rates was in vogue.

Tho chairman observed that if the county reduced the valuation of tho county this would not guarantee that tho county’s share would be reduced. It would mean that the ratio of interest would have to be increased to provide the money. Cr Boyce stated that the £3OOO levy this year was one-fifth of the county’s total rates collected and it would end in the ratepayers being pushed off tho land. “We have to realise that the hospital has to go on,” said the chairman, “but tho whole trouble seems to bo the rate of subsidy the board gets from the Government.” Cr Boyce said that he would like to point out that, fur from being critical of the board’s management, tho council owed it a debt of gratitude for the manner in which it had conducted the affairs of the hospital. The trouble, he agreed, did not Ho with the board, but with the system of levying the rates in vogue. Tho chairman said that Sir James Wilson, as chairman, would not countenance any unwarranted expenditure on the part of the board, but the speaker did think the council had a grievance on the score of representation on the board. At present it had only one representative —Sir James Wilson —while previously Cr Hunt had also been on the board. Cr Hunt explained that tho board's district had been reconstructed recently and the Otaki area brought under the jurisdiction of tho Palmerston North Board and tho number cf the county’s representatives on tho board had had to be reduced. The speaker had not wished to contest a seat on tho board by ballot with Sir James Wilson and so he had resigned. After further discussing the. matter, it was decided that Crs Perrett and Pearce bo appointed a sub-committee to go into the position as regards tho county’s contribution and furnish a report to a later meeting.