A BOARD OF BUMBLES.

NZ Truth, Issue 406, 5 April 1913, Page 5

A BOARD OF BUMBLES.

Ttlf PENALTIES Of PAUPERISM. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID AFFAIRS. BOW THE PUBLIC CASH IS SQUANDERED.

"Truth" has before it the estimates of tho Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board for the year beginning April 1, 1913, ending March 31, 1914. There are j plenty of figures about these estimates, j and, naturally, : being a mass o| figures concerning receipts and expenditure they are apt to be considered dry and uninteresting. Kgures are always built that way; they are dry, but it does not always follow that they' are uninteresting. On the contrary, m nine cases out of ten, they are decidedly interesting/but, because to the ordinary mind they are dry, the interest is lost. There is, however, another kind of interest'-which yearly mounts up, and which is extracted from the public pocket, yet nobody seems to mind. Incidentally, it has to be mentioned that m "Truth's" "Speculation or Swindle" columns the financial affairs of this body are carefully dissected by "Truth's" financial critic, "Cambist" However, just to get INTO THE THICK OP THINGS as disclosed from these estimates, •Truth" finds that for the financial year ending on Monday last the expenditure by the Board for 1912-13 was £58,458, the receipts being £27,662, which Included a loan of £10,000 which was to be raised. for the Out-patients' and Pathological block, and £3000 odd raised for the Children's Hospital. The figures, therefore, show an excess of expenditure over receipts by £30,796. For the present year the estimated expenditure is put down at £60,025, while the anticipated receipts are set down as £19,025. or a 'difference of estimated expenditure over estimated receipts of £41,000. Now what does all this mean? It means that for the year. 1912-13, the people of Wellington province '< were taxed to raise the sum of £30,000 odd. It means that m general keeping with the fashion of all-round increases m everything but wages, the people, rich and poor alike, are, during the year 1913-14, going to find £41,000, or £10,000 more than the previous year, to maintain what certainly seems to be a grossly mismanaged, though necessary, m existing circumstances. Institution. If we are to view this matter from a merely local standpoint, it means that the Wellington City Council will have to stump up over £13,000 of the £41,000 needed, and to do this' It means additional taxation, which. In the long run, means additional burdens on the poor who will be oppressed and rack-rented by greedy and usurious.landlords and land-owners who adopt the policy of passing it on. In view of the forthcoming elections these' facts should be Interesting to all municipal electors, who, not owning rateable property, entertain the erroneous impression that any increase m the rates will not' affect them. During the financial year which expired on Monday last, the Wellington City Council entered on AN ERA OP ECONOMY. 'And it Is interesting to note who were mostly affected by the economies. The City Engineer's estimates were cut down by £5000, and, as the City Engineer's branch is tho branch employing labor, It Is easy to see who got a "Square Deal." It meant that £5000 which would have paid for labor on road -making and repairing were saved the ratepayers, while £5000 were withdrawn from tho pockets of working men. Now. the Wellington -Council finds itself faced with another problem — that of the increased cost of the maintenance of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Already It has been said that m order to meet this charge further economies will have to be made m the Engineer's estimates. Again, the worker will have to suffer. Now let us see what this Hospital and Charitable Aid Board is up to. Four years ago, after Dr. Ewart's retirement from the position of Superintendent of the Wellington Hospital, Dr. Hardwick Smith was appointed at a salary of £500 per annum. Since his appointment Dr. Smith has crept up to £1000 per annum, which means a rise of £100 yearly, m addition to which ho has just gone away on a 12 months' holiday. It is, of course, possible that Dr. Hardwick Smith la worth £1000 per annum. It Is possible that the elected members of the Board hold that opinion, because at the list meeting Mr. A. H, Hlndmarsh emphatl-

I catty protested against any increase, but his ■"■"■'■'•■■ •■'. " PROTESTS WERE ABSOLUTELY IGNORED, does not wish to belittle the un- v doubted abilities of ,Dr. Smith. He Is only a yourig man with the possibility of a great career before him. If he is worth £1000 per annum to the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, it Is a million to one that elsewhere Dr. Smith could command £2000 per annum. That, however. Is beside the issue. Dr. EWart. when Superintendent, never exceeded £750 per year, and he was cheap at the price. Moreover, his success as a scientific surgeon and administrator at the hospital was such that when ho retired from 'the position, it assured for him m .Wellington a most lucrative medical practice. , / While away on his 12 months' . holiday, i Dr. Hard wick Smith has been empowered i to do many things which will be of infinite value to himself as a medical man He has, furthermore, been given carte blanche to engage a pathologist m England at £ 600 ' per annum. And it is m connection with the engagement of a pathologist that, indirectly, we come to a big item of expenditure for the year, viz., £8720, for the Out-patients', and Pathological Block. When, however, It is claimed that a Pathologist and a Pathological block are not at all required it certainly follows that something is wrong somewhere. All the pathological work m connection with the Wellington Hospital is carried out by the Government, and without one penny cost to the local bodies. The reason, however, for the erection of the block and the importation of a pathologist at £600 per annum Is that the work of the Government is not rapid enough. It does not seem to haw occurred to the wonderful . . BUMBLES OP THIS BOARD , to have interviewed the responsible Minister on this point and ascertain whether it was not possible to have the pathological staff Increased. Another proposed waste of £500 is the estimate for another ambulance. As far as "Truth" learns this ambulance Is for use only m Wellington. When it is realised that the ambulance work done by the St. John's Ambulance Association, and is done efficiently, it occurs that the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board is seized with an eager, feverish haste to spend the public money as fast as it' can get hold of it, and, apparently, there is no remedy against these cash-spending proclivities. ■ , It naturally follows that the people of Wellington will be hit up for a large slice of the £40,000 required. It. also, happens that small local bodies outside Wellington will be affected, and from a casual acquaintance with the financial affairs of neighboring local bodies which are working on overdrafts, it means that ratepayers In those districts will have their rales Increased, while it is, also, possible that recourse will have to be made to "Uncle." The Hospital Board operates well Into the neighboring country. Places like Otafcl will feel the pinch, and the effect will be a disastrous one Already there Is a tendency for owners of property or mortgage to decline their engagements. This means that they ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES; and the rich land-grabbing owner is getting the best of the argument. The Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board is run on wrong lines. It wants modernising. Its effect is to pauperlso many, and the pauperisation of the Individual is loss of independence. It is a recognised fact that the talut of pauperisation goes down from generation to generation. There Is nothing uplifting about the methods of this Board. It helps paupers to keep them paupers. It Is run on bad lines, and the only conclusion at which "Truth" can arrive is that the electors m all the districts covered by this Board should endeavor to return men who have clear and distinct views on Hospital and Charitable A|d Board management.