BOARDS AT LAW

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22515, 4 September 1936, Page 12

BOARDS AT LAW

CHILD HOSPITAL PATIENTS RATES CHARGEABLE DISPUTED [by telegraph OWN correspondent] DUNEDIN, Thursday A case in -which the measure of liability for the maintenance of child patients from one hospital district by tho authorities in another district was in dispute, was argued in the Magistrate's Court to-day. Action was taken by tho Otago Hospital Board to recover from the Wellington Hospital Board £3O 18s, the amount alleged to be duo to tho plaintiff board for board, lodging and maintenance for two children in the Dunedin Hospital and one in the infectious diseases hospital, all three patients being resident in defendant board's district.

Mr. A. N. Haggitt, for the plaintiff board, said the case arose out of a somewhat undignified and regrettable action between the two hospital boards, Avhich had been brought as the result of the Wellington board's attempting to dictate to the Otago board how it should run its business. The Otago board had charged tho defendant board full rates in respect of the three children, but the Wellington board maintained that this charge was unreasonable and paid half the rates instead. Mr. J. 0. Mowat, for tho defence, said that from the beginning the defendant board had admitted its liability for the threo children ; but it was reluctantly compelled to litigate by what it considered the unreasonable and unprecedented attitude .taken up by the Otago board in charging full rates. Counsel submitted an affidavit by the secretary of the Wellington board which sought tb show that children cost less to maintain in hospital than adults, and contended that tho universally adopted practico of boards throughout New Zealand of charging half rates for children confirmed this affidavit.

After evidence had been heard, Mr. .T, R. Bartholomew, S.M., remarking that it seomed a pity that tho Minister should not have regulated tho position of boards to one another, intimated that he would take time to consider his decision.