HOSPITAL LEVY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12465, 26 May 1911, Page 5

HOSPITAL LEVY.

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL'S ACTION

The question of the Hospital levy for , the 'year 1911-12 was considered at the . Cook County Council's meeting to-day, ; when the following letter was received from Mr H. M. Porter, secretary of tlie , Cook Hospital and Charitable Aid ( Board :— ."Further to my letter of- the 4th inst. I am directed by Tmy , Board to demand from you the sum of 1 £5721, being your proportion of the , amount required for Hospital and Chari- , table Aid expenditure for the year ending March 31, 1912. Your proportion ' of general expenditure is 451344, of which payment is requested to be made , m- three equal instalments on the first ' day of August and November, 1911, and ] the first day of January, 1912. The proportion of capital expenditure you are , required to find is £4377, which is your proportion of the expenditure estimated for the present year m connection with , the building of the new hospital, the ' amount to be payable m two equal instalments on -October 31, 1911,- and January 31, 1912." ! The. "Clerk <Mr J. .Warren) presented ■ the foßbwing statement :— "The . levy upon the Cook. County, Council will amount to say £11,500. The capital ' value of the County under the new assessment , is £4,400,000. The interest upon a . Joan j>f filliSjDO^ will amount to £500 i2s 6d per annum for a period of 36£ years, that is if the State Guaranteed Advances Board be willing to lend that amount.' To provide the amount required, if the Board is unable or unwilling to lend the whole sum of £11,---500 it could be raised by a special rate o£ onerfifth of a penny m the.! £1 on the capital value of the . County collected for 3i years. If the loan can . be made, by the Advances Board* then' the annual charge for interest and sinking fund will amount to £560 12s 6d per annum for a period of 36£ years. To meet this annual charge a special rate of one thirtyrsecond of a penny m the £ will be required to be levied for that period." The Clerk stated that if one -sixteenth bl\a penny rate was struck for charitable aid and one-fifth of a penny rate for the levy the hospital and charitable aid rate. would only be about one farthing altogether. The County rates last year were l^d for works, £d for management,,.^ for hospital, and charitable aid arid* bridge fund, 'a total of Id m the £. If the same rate, or lsd, was struck on the new valuations this year 1 they would have sufficient revenue to cover everything, the only drawback being that' tlie oCuncil would still end up with an overdraft. of £3500. . Cr. Matthews said a loan would have to-be raised. -•'■'-.'. The Chairman pointed out that that would entail considerable work and expense. It would be better to pay it out of the general fund- by striking the onesixteenth of a penny rate. , . Cr, Matthews thought that,' was a good scheme. The Chairman said he did not think a Joint loan would be of any advantage, with which other councillors concurred. In reply to Cr. Lysnar- the Clerk said ' the increase m rates this year, taking ; the^ whole county, was &d. In some ridings it was" more. Cr. Lvsnar pointed put that the rate, m his riding was almost doubled. Cr. Matthews said his riding was: going to pay a lower rate than previCr. Lysnar p6mted out that the Council promised, when the rate wasj made about l£d last year, that it would be decreased this year. ' The Chairman : But we have got extra expenditure. Eventually it was decided 'that steps be taken to borrow the sum of £11,500 on security of special rate of 3^d m tha £. , SUGGESTED SEVERANCE*. ' Cr. Lysnar asked if the Council had not the power to join with the Waikohu County m having a hospital of their own. The, two counties had to pay a very unfair amount m comparison with Che benefit they got from the hospital. They could run a hospital themselves very much cheaper than the present one was being run. Cr Matthews : If it is possible to do it it is a good suggestion. Consideration of this phase of . the question was resumed after the luncheon adjournment. Cr Lysnar asked if he would be m order m moving that Waikohu be asked to join with them about establishing a hospital. He took it that £11.---\jfCo was only the thin edge of the wedge to. what was going to be expended. As the expenditure went on, the hospital ra£e", would become unbearable to the jQ>uj)ty; ratepayers. A!t present the Board had only -bought the land and asked the architects to go on arid piepare the plans for the new buildirtg.' .'-'- --• The Chairman: I think that before you con- -do anything there, must be a • special Act, but perhaps, that will not prevent Cr Lysnar moving his resolution, Cr Lysnar : We can pass the resolution as a warning to the Board. Cr Matthews, m seconding the motion, pointed out that it was not known -frhere the matter was to be stopped*

I Any increase m rates would be a greit hardship to the County people. In the interest of the whole county, it was well that some restraint be placed on the expenditure. The counties could run an institution very much cheaper than the present one. although he did n.-t wish to reflect on the management <>f the Hospital Board. Cr "Lysnar : We can run a cottage ho>pital, and any critical cases wantii-,; special treatment can be sent to the main, hospital, and we would guarantee the charges. The motion was carried unanimously. The clerk : Consequent upon that. I suppose we must send notice to the Board. - The Chairman said an answer could be sent to the Board to the effect that the counties were contemplating severance. The clerk said the levy of £1300 tor general' administration would have to lie paid This was agreed to. Or Lysnar remarked that they could have four or live cottage hospitals scattered over the district. Cr Fraser .- Would that be cheaper than contributing to the present hospital? '-. .". Cr Lysnar : Yes. I don't think it will cost us a thousand a year. The discussion dropped after some general remarks about doctors had been passed.