CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16796, 12 March 1918, Page 6

CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.

LARGER SUBSIDY SOUGHT.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER.

A nEFTT.vnoy from the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Hoard waited' on tho Hon. O. W. Russell, Minister for Public Health, and asked that the full subsidy of 21s in the £ be allowed on the sum of £3154 collected by the Auckland Dramatic and Vaudeville Employees' i Association for the equipment and fur-1 nishlng of the new children's hospital, ] and for the memorial to be erected atj the children's hbspital to soldiers, sailors, and nurses who have given their lives in the war. I It was stated by the chairman, Mr. M. I i .1. Coyle, that when the money was col- 1 lected the public were told that the, Government would contribute 24s for' every £1 collected, this statement being' based on the board's interpretation of the > Act, whereas it was now understood that only 12s 6d in the £ would be paid. Mr. Coyle also asked that the Government allow the board a subsidy of £500 to enable a third operator to be employed at the new dental hospital, lie remarked' that the board was now losing £500 a year on the work done at the dental | hospital. With a third operator it would ■ be possible to deal with from 60 to 761 I patients a week more than was the ease' j now. I Dc. Florence Keller and Messrs. P. J. I Xerheny and E. H. Potter also spoke in i support of the requests. i j In reply, the Minister said the Auckland Hospital Board was receiving a' I higher subsidy from the Government! than any other similar board in New, j Zealand, and, further, Auckland was pa,?- j ! ing less rates. For these reasons the | I subsidy on* the gift mentioned had not i ! exceeded 12s in the £. The gift with the subsidy was sufficient to furnish and > equip the building, and he could, therefore, not see his way to extend the subsidy. He pointed out that the Dominion I was spending from two to two and a-half I millions a month in connection with the I war, and he was compelled to keep ex-1 penditure that was not absolutely neces- ! sary down in a way that he would not I think of doing at any other time. With regard to the dental subsidy, tho Minister said he was deeply interested in the experiment being tried in Auckland, and he hoped to inaugurate similar schemes in other centres, given a favourable opportunity. He thought the position was acute in Auckland, because the board had a great deal of work to pick up but when this was picked up the work would be easier to handle. He asked that the board supply him with j particulars of the cost of the work being j clone and the number of patients being! treated at the dental hospital He promised to consider the request for a subsidy. Mr. Coyle said he was not satisfied with the Minister's reply to the first request, as he felt that the board was honestly entitled to 24s in the £ on th» gift for the children's hospital. Mr. Russell expressed his gratitude to tho Dramatic and Vaudeville Association for its effort, and said if further furniture or equipment were required for tho children's hospital he would see that the subsidy was increased to meet requirements.