PATIENTS’ FEES

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12252, 25 September 1925, Page 6

PATIENTS’ FEES

MORE PROCEEDINGS WHARF LABOURER’S £6 A WEEK The patients’ fees committee report ed to tho Wellington Hospital Bear* yesterday that the maintenance feev collected during the four months ended August 31st amounted to £7487, £612 more than was estimated, and £270 iqtpre than for the corresponding period last year. Instructions were given to take legal proceedings for the recovery of hospital maintenance accounts against 28 persons who had ignored repeated notices sent to them requesting arrangements to be made for settlement. In one case the information given by the committee said the man was a wharf labourer earning £6 a week. Mr Ci H. Chapman said he was quite sure that no wharf labourer in Wellington had been earning £6 a week for months past. £4 to £4 10s was as much as any wharf labourer had been earning.

Mr A. J. McCurdy replied that tho information was taken from the statement made by the individual himself. The man ignored all letters asking him to pay or what arrangements he wa* prepared to make. Ho was on tha municipal roll. The committee did not know if he had a family, but if he had and could not pay, the committee would wipe it off, hut he had not given them anv information as to that, and jf lie was earning £6 and did not reply to the committee, then it was only right that they should proceed. The committee’s recommendation was then adopted.