Social Security And High Hospital Rate

Northern Advocate, 24 September 1943, Page 3

Social Security And High Hospital Rate

tSpecial) - KAITAIA. This Day. “The increase :n your rate this year is a result of .the Social Security policy of the Government and not in any way due to the administration. This county has been asked to find during 1943-44. for the hospital board., a sum of £5766, which is over £2OOO more than it was two years ago. At present—of the general rate of 11 Pud in the £—approximately 5»' 4 d in the £ goes direct to the hospital board, even after the increase from 6/- to 9/- per bed in the hospital bed allowance, so you can see how the free hospital treatment is being honoured (in part) at your expense.”

This notice, which appeared under the heading “For Your Information” and was recently received by ratepayers in the Mangonui County, was produced by the Labour candidate for Bay of Islands (Mr. C. W. Boswell) in replying to a question by Mr. L. G. Thompson at Kaitaia. “I venture to suggest that every member of the body which sent out that notice at this time is a Nationalist," Mr. Boswell said. Rates Not Cut Dcwn It was apparent that in this hospital the rates had not been cut down, whereas in nearly every other hospital board in New Zealand they had been lowered. The bed allowance had been increased from 6/- tc 9/- to hospitals and that should have given some relief. The Mangonui County could have been receiving the sarpe treatment as had Whangaroa and Hokianga —who were not complaining—but Mangonui had refused the Government’s offer. “You’ve had a better service and better hospitalisation since Labour came into power,” he said. A voice: Where does the money come from?

Mr. Boswell: From the people. We have not offered anything for nothing. He added that the Nationalists did not like the graduated rate of Social Security payment, which hit hardest the people in the high income groups, who were most able to nav; they would have preferred a flat rate that would have been a burden on the smaller wage groups. The Mangonui hospital rate had gone up but it was not because it had lost anything because of Social Security. Mr. Thompson: I think Mr. Boswell has misunderstood the question. I am a member of the Kaitaia Town Board. In the nast four years our hospital rate has increased 250 per cent, and I think it is getting out of hand. What I want to know is why We should stick the rate on the land? Would Hit Harder If the rate were taken off the land the capitation would fall very heavily on individuals, Mr. Boswell said. He knew the Prime Minister was aware of special difficulties in the North and was prepared to help Mangonui as Hokianga had been helned, but Mangonui would not be assisted.

He promised that if he and the Labour Government were returned ho would see that a commission was set up to go into the question of Northland hospitals. The time would come when the whole of the burden would fall on the whole of the people, but that time had not yet arrived. As it was at present, the greatest burden fell on the big property owners in the citv.

He uttered a warning that if the Government were forced to take over the whole responsibility for t.he Mangonui hospital there was a danger of the hospital board going out of operation, which, from Mr. Boswell’s point of view, was not entirely desirable. “If I am returned I will make representations ' honestlv for your hospital board,” he said. "But I think it wrong to say at this time that Social Security was responsible for increasing die hospital rate.”