HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3138, 6 May 1914, Page 5

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The fortnightly meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, held on April 30, was attended by Mr J. H. Walker (chairman), Mrs Ferguson, Airs Jackson, Messrs R. Templeton, F. G. Gumming, H. M. Driver, W. Blackie, J. Gumming, C. N. Scurr, W. E. S. Knight, W. T. Talboys, S. S. Myers, and Dr W Marshall Macdonald CQEHESPONDENCE. Dr Maguire, of Auckland, wrote thanking the chairman for facilities afforded him for seeing the various institutions under the control of the board. —Received. Fourteen representatives of insurance companies carrying on business in Dunedin wrpto recording their “strong protest against the action of the board in declining to insure its property against fire, or its liability under the' Workers’ Compensation Act, with companies other than the ‘ local ’ companies, and pointed out that the “British” insurance companies contributed in every way the same as did the “ local ” companies to the revenues of the dominion. They felt no hesitation in stating that the representatives and staffs of the “British” companies contributed as liberally to the funds of the board as did the representatives and staffs of the “local ” companies; in fact, as the number of the “British ” offices so greatly exceeded the number of the “ local ”i offices, the amount they contributed would greatly exceed that of the four local offices, there being 29 offices carrying on business in Dunedin. The writers added that the Dunedin City Corporation insurances were distributed equally among all the insurance offices, and they commended this practice to the board. —Tho letter- was received. Mr Law. manager of the Royal Insurance Company, wrote: “ I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 28th inst., and note that a letter written by me to a member of the board in connection with the board’s insurances was handed into committee, and from the copy of the resolution contained in your letter I note that certain members of the board considered a statement contained in the letter to be an accusation against some of the board’s members. The statement that has been taken exception to is of a sentence in which it was stated that ‘ there are certain gentlemen, members of the board, who have their own particular reasons for these insurances going to the local companies.’ I have no hesitation in repeating' this statement, for to persona who are not members of the board it must surely be apparent that as a majority of the board was not iir favour of the British companies receiving a share of tho board s insurances, there must be certain gentlemen on the board who have their own particular reasons for this. In view of the fact that the representatives and staffs of tho British companies contribute substantially to the revenues of the board, many of them through their rates as well as by private contributions, all thoso members who voted against tho British companies sharing in the insurances must surely have their own particular reasons for offering tho insurances to four companies and the State Department only, when so many other companies are entitled to consideration.” —The Chairman said that Mr Law’s letter was a very poor excuse for tho words he had used. It was right that the member of tho board to whom tho letter was addressed should have made it official, as it made reflections on certain members of the board. Mr Law had made a direct charge against every member of the board, and the board should be in possession of the names of the members whom ho accused. The accusation was not one that should stand against any member of the board, and the board should demand to know the names of tho members he re-' ferred to. In regard to tho insurances the board, in its wisdom, had carried a resolution which it considered was a right one. If the local officers hold the whole_ of the insurance they would reinsure with the other offices. After all, it was only a small amount each office would got, as tho whole of the premiums on the board’? buildings came to about £l6o.—lt was resolved to again ask Mr Law to name the members of the board to whom he referred. LEVIES ON LOCAL BODIES. The Chairman said: “In estimating the levies for the year it is unnecessary for me to weary you with details in connection with the revenue and expenditure during the past year, as no doubt you are fully conversant with the position. Tho expenditure has increased in some. departments, and it will be necessary to carefully watch the various items connected therewith to enable any economy to be obtained. As the number of patients increase it is evident that the expenses will increase, and we have to face during the coming year tho fact that, owing to the opening of the' new women’s ward, our expenditure must increase. Hie question of the amount to be levied during the coming year required very careful consideration, and necessitated a lafge amount of detail work, and the conclusion arrived at —viz., to levy tho same amount as last year —was finally decided on. The Act provides that a. supplementary levy may be raised if a further amount is required, but I feel sure that the position will be very urgent before wo consider the advisability of acting in this manner. Though wo propose levying for the same amount as last year—viz!, £15,881 14s Bd,—tho amount due by the various bodies will be somewhat altered. The responsibility for this rests on tho Government Valuation Department, which furnishes us annually with the capital values of the rateable properties of the whole of the local bodies of the district. If the amount required to bo paid to the board were obtained by the various districts bv a direct rate, it would mean a rate on_ the capital value of approximately throe-sixteenths of a penny in tho pound —or. as an example, Is 7cl per £IOO. —and I feel satisfied that if the svstem were gradually adopted ratepayers would much prefer it, as their contribution towards hospital and charitable a id work would be clearly defined, and a large sum of money would remain in the hands of the councils of the counties and boroughs for necessary works.” The levies are at present being readjusted. and will be intimated to tho next meeting.