HOSPITAL LEVY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23047, 26 May 1938, Page 9

HOSPITAL LEVY

CONCERN AT INCREASE [FROM OCR OWX CORRKSrONDENT] PUKEKOHE, Wednesday The opinion that serious consideration should be given to the question of derating in respect of all hospital rates, was expressed by ihe chairman of the Franklin County Council, Mr. J. N. Massev, at the annual meeting at Pukekolie to-day. The annual report seated that the amount of hospital lexlJ' paid in the Franklin County Council area during the past year had been £6916. The levy on capital valuation of local districts, irrespective of population, was an unfair basis of apportionment. Some years ago the council had urged the Government to alter the system and provide for one-half the amount required to be apportioned on a capital value basis and the other half, on a population hasis, continued the report. Nothing had been done and the levy was steadily increasing. For the coming year a much higher levy was predicted. It was estimated that it would be .42(1 in the £l, which would represent an increase of £2-160 on last year. "A levy of nearly one halfpenny in the pound for hospital purposes 'is alarming, and some combined action by county councils is necessary to secure relief from this taxation.'' declared Mr. Massey.