LOSS TO HOSPITALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19677, 1 July 1927, Page 12

LOSS TO HOSPITALS.

PATIENTS WHO DO NOT PAY. SINGLE MEN AND MAORIS. GOVERNMENT AID SOUGHT. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Thursday.

The difficulties 'hospital boards meet in recovering hospital and maintenance fees from single men without dependants and also from Maori patients in the hospitals formed the subject of representations to the Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, to-day bv a deputation from the Associated Hospital Boards. The chairman of the association, Mr. W. Wallace, of Auckland, emphasised the necessity for amending the law to enable fees to be recovered from single men. The hoards were anxious to keep dovyn expenditure, and at preser.t they were doing very, well in that respect, but their efforts wflre hampered by sir.gle men taking advantage of the institutions and then walking out without making any attempt to pay their accounts. The Prime Minister: You refer to men who are physically fit ? Mr-,, .Wallace: Certainly; single men without dependants. Regarding the Maoris, Mr. Wallace said the question affected the northern districts more particularly. Not 10 per cent, of the amount involved was collected from the Maoris, thousands of pounds being lost. The Prime Minister: What is the nature of the siervice ? M'r. Wallace:: Charitable aid in most cases. As rates cannot bo collected on Maori lands the Europeans have to pay more accordingly. The Prime Minister said that was a general statement, because the Maoris did pay rates, but there were difficulties where the land wa:i not individualised. A Maori might be quite willing to pay, but how could he do so when he did not know what his interest in the land was. Was it proposed the Government should pay a greater subsidy to the boards with Maoris in their districts ?

Mr. Wallace: That might help to relieve the position. Tho Prime Minister said he would go into tho questions and later convey tho decision of the Government to the association.