SLIGHT INCREASE IN CAPITAL LEVIES FOR PALMERSTON HOSPITAL

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7170, 18 March 1930, Page 8

SLIGHT INCREASE IN CAPITAL LEVIES FOR PALMERSTON HOSPITAL

Staff is Praised;

The capital estimates for the coming financial year (April 1, 1930-March 31, 1931) -were dealt with at yesterday's meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board when proposals brought down by the chairman (Mr. J. K. Hornblow) were approved except in one direction. There will be a slight increase in levies demanded of contributing bodies. The chief items of expenditure recommended were:—Payment of loans and sinking fund instalments, £4904; new surgical block and coal store, £6270; theatre (with equipment), £5700; addition to nurses’ home, £6800; administration block and house surgeon’s quarters, £8000; chronic ward, £8000; Xray equipment, £2100; purchase of land, £2000; equipment and furnishings of new two-story block, £1760; new ambulance, £650; furniture for nurses’ home, £440; water-softening plant, £600; sterilising rooms, £400; farm improvements, £250. The levies re estimated to produce £4IOO which bears a Government subsidy of £1 for £1 whilo £2OOO is expected from the sale of sections. £IOOO will be secured by way of a bequest with Government subsidy. The proposal is to raise a twenty years’ loan of £30,000 for the balance of the money required, together with a £6OOO loan of five years’ term.

Levies Up. Last year the board levied £3SOO for capital expenditure. Mr. Hornblow stated that he had gone carefully into the question of levy for this year and found that a small increase was necessary. The levy, however, having reached £4IOO should, he considered, be stabilised at close to this figure for the next three or four years, if not longer. As regards the purchase of land, this was the balance owing on the five acres purchased on the north side of the hospital. So far the purchase price had been reduced by £IOOO received from the sale of sections. In the event of any sections being sold this year the proceeds would be applied to reduce this liability. The proposed administration block was part of the general scheme and was approved by the board some years ago, but had from time to time been postponed. In view of the present condition of : the wooden buildings, he had conferred with the Director-General of Health in this matter and the latter had given his sanction to part of a main administration block being erected this year. This will provide office accommodation for the board’s staff and for the medical staff, with proper facilities for admission of patients, etc., and house surgeons’ quarters overhead. The housQ surgeons were at present housed in the upstairs portion of the old wooden building.

Chronic Ward. As regards the proposed chronic wafd, this matter had been before the board from time to time and this item again had the approval of the Director? General of Health. Tho housing of chronic patients in the general wards and some times in the Old People’s Home had proved most unsatisfactory. It was proposed to build a twenty-bed block which would eventually be part of a larger block, and to do so the board would demolish the most delapidated portions at the back of tho old wooden building. This site had been chosen on the recommendation of the Health Department’s officers.

As regards, the erection of sterilis? ing Tooms, this matter had previously been looked into by the executive committee, and the need for improved sterilising rooms was urgent.

Methods of Financing. As against these buildings it was proposed to borrow £30,000’ at 6 per cent from tho Public Trust office for a term of twenty years.

Salaries. In connection with salary matters, the executive reported having decided on the motion of Mr. Smith, seconded by Mr. Nash, to recommend: —(1) That the managing secretary be granted a bonus of £SO in respect of the current year, and that his salary bo increased by £SO per annum as from April 1, 1930, and that he be granted his house rent free as from that date with fuel and light allowance of £3O per annum. Tho chairman explained that the effect of the last portion of this proposal was to put the managing secretary on tho same footing as the medical superintendent as regards the occupation of his house. (2) That _thc salaries of the following officers be increased as from April 1, 1930.:—W. G. Galbraith, accountant, £4OO to £420 per annum; W. Watson, senior clerk, £3OO to £320 per annum; L. FitzSimons, cashier, £IBO to £2OO per annum; H. J. Kavanagh, clerk and shorthand-typist, £202 to £225 per annum. It was also recommended that the salary of the matron be increasedto £275 per annum. Secretary Praised.

Mr. Hornblow stated that tho Palmerston North Board had been paying its secretary less than what similar sized boards paid theirs. “I don’t know of any man holding a similar position in New Zealand who is Mr. Phillipps’ equal,” added the chairman. •‘I say that with all confidence. Ho has done extraordinary work for the board and saved it hundreds pf pounds. His hours have never been defined apd he has worked considerably more than eight hours a day.” The chairman thought Mr. Phillipps should be put.on the same footing as the medical superintendent. “I too realise we have a very cap-

Irreducible Minimum ■ • ■ ■ i ■ •.

Salaries Increased

able officer and that ho fully earns his salary,” stated Mr. G. A. Monk. ; ; j Details of Increase. "Wo have been careful not to include anything that is not essential,” stated the chairman when reviewing the estimates. In order, to ease the burden on the local bodies, it had been suggested that tho department should allow the board to raise a loan, but the Director-General said ho was opposed to " loans. Eventually, however, he granted the request. As far as the levies were concerned, tho contributing authorities could not expect a reduction. As a matter of fact there would be a slight increase as follows: — 1928-29 1929-30

The chairman thought that local bodies might have expected a greater increase, which certainly wouid have eventuated had there been a stipendiary staff. At present the board got a great deal done for nothing. Mr. J. A. Nash pointed out that although the increase in salaries amounted to £377 in all, there had to be deducted from that tho £275 paid to Mr. Aisher who was retiring. The total increase would therefore be only £lO2. Mr. Nash spoke in appreciation of the interest tho chairman was taking in the hospital and its work and in favour of raising money for capital expenditure by loans.

Hard Times Ahead. Mr. G. A Monk pointed out that local bodies would be up against hard times this winter with the slump and everything possible should bo done to curtail expenditure. Ho would like to see tho administrative block held over for a year and perhaps two years. At the present time he would not oppose the increase in salaries.

Mr. L. T. McLean struck a similar note. Tho expenditure should be cut down to tho very lowest. Further, the present year was not the one in which to increase salaries. Farmers were cutting their salaries down and they were the peoplo who had to find the money for the Hospital Board. Mr. F..J. Ryder: The farmers arc having to face a decrease in salaries all right. It is going to bo a serious question collecting rates this year. Mr. C. Aitchison said he was pleased at the way Messrs Monk, McLean and Ryder had spoken. Tho slump in the country must affect the towns. The time was not ripe .to go on with the administrative block and the chronic ward might also bo shelved for a while. He agreed that the administrative staff was an excellent one deserving more than it earned, but the present was not thp time to make increases. Mr. G. P. Catley spoke in similar strain and moved that as far as the secretary was concerned, he be not given the £3O lighting and fuel grant and fr'eo house.

■ Mr. J. Boys thought the secretary was already drawing a good salary (£600) and the proposed increases amounted to over £IOO each year. The chairman said ho had worked, hard to bring the estimates to an irriduciblo minimum. He supplied the boatd with figures giving the salaries of the secretaries of other Hospital Boards, in order that they might make a. comparison, and assured the meeting that Mr. Phillipps was doing a great deal more than any of these, other men. The Palmerston North Board was the only- one in the Dominion that had not got an administrative block. The chairman particularly pleaded to allow the chronic ward to stand. Tho board had the money for this ward set aside (the Kirby- bequest) so that the estimates could really be reduced by that amount. It was very depressing for patients, to have these chronic cases in the ordinary wards. Mr. Catley’s motion to delete the free house and lighting grant to the secretary, was carried. A proposal to delete the administration block was lost on the casting vote of the chairman who stated that as far as the present year was concerned, all that would be done would be to prepare the plans and get ready. The chairman was congratulated on the manner in which he had presented the estimates.

£ £ Kirs-itca 40S 441 Pohangina , 207 224 Manawatu. 431 465 Oroua , 377 407 Kairanga , 577 623 Horowhenua .. . , 025 675 Feilding , 1S1 195 Palmerston North .. 802 867 Foxton , 35 37 Shannon . .. . < . 24 26 , 87 94 Otaki , 36 39 Rongotca 4 5