RADIUM IN HOSPITALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19415, 25 August 1926, Page 12

RADIUM IN HOSPITALS.

ACTION BY THE DEPARTMENT. A CHECK ON EXPENDITURE; SUBSIDIES ALSO LIMITED. AUCKLAND BOARD'S PROTEST, Exception to the attitude of the Department of Health toward radium funds was taken at the meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board last evening. The department advised that the Government had recently decided the four centres would not be permitted to expend more than £IO,OOO each on radium unless any extra amount was "made -up solely of voluntary contributions. The Government subsidy 1 would be paid at the rate of £1 for £1 on voluntary contributions up to a limit sufficient to provide £IO,OOO, that is, the Government subsidy would be paid only to the extent of £SOOO in any' one centre.' A subsidy would not b"i granted on donations for radium except in respect of the four centres, tinder this decision a subsidy at the rate of £1 for £1 would be paid on the amount of £1486 13s 9d, a bequest from*the estate of the late Mr. Joseph Johnson. The chairman, Mr. W. Wallace, said the department was taking up an unreasonable attitude. The bequest from Mr. Johnson's estate had been given unconditionally to the board and the board had allocated it to the radium, fund. The bequest would carry a subsidy in any case, but now it would be included in the limited amount mentioned by the department. The board should obtain the subsidy on the bequest in addition to a subsidy up to £SOOO in expenditure on radium, Mr. E. H. Potter suggested the board, would get over the difficulty by transferring the bequest to the board's general account. " We never dreamt when wo made over the bequest to the radium fund that the Government would try to. beat us for a subsidy of £1486 13s 9d," the chairman remarked. Mr. S. J. Harbutt said the injustice appeared to him to lie in the limit of £IO,OOO in expenditure on, radium by each of the four principal boards. He thought the Auckland Board with its greater population to serve should be allowed to spend more than, say, the Dunedin Board. Mr. Wallace : In Auckland we could use all the radium thete is in New Zealand. " ' : The subject was referred to the Finance Committee with power to act.'