HOSPITAL RATES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19883, 9 March 1939, Page 16

HOSPITAL RATES

URBAM AREAS PAY MORE ANALYSIS BY MR. JORDAN FARMERS’ UNION CLAIM POPULATION BASIS LEVY (Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, this day. The question of the proportion of cost of hospital maintenance contributed through rates by urban and rural populations in New Zealand was raised by the president, Mr. T. Jordan, at the conference of the Municipal Association yesterday. Mr. Jordan stated that the Farmers’ Union was again advocating strongly and loudly for the allocation of cost on a population basis, despite the fact that the urban districts were already paying most of the money. “The farmers’ Union,” said Mr. Jordan,” still seems to think that the farming community is paying the greater part of the bill; in fact, to hear what some of them say, one

would think they paid the whole lot. Actually,, the figures show that the ratio of urban rating for hospitals to that of rural rating is 51 to 49.” A voice: What about the patients? Who provides most of the patients? Mr. Jordan: I am not concerned about the number of patients. I am dealing with rating and maintenance costs. 49 Per Cent To 51 Ter Cent Continuing, Mr. Jordan said that county councils and road boards paid £295,234 on 49 per cent of the total. The remaining 51 per cent, or about £306,727, was paid by the cities and boroughs. Those figures, he felt, were not generally known, but he thought that if they were there would be less clamour by the farmers for rating on a population basis, especially since the proportions of population were: Urban, 59.61 per cent; rural, 40.36 per cent. In conclusion, Mr. Jordan said that the attitude of the Farmers Union w'as surprising in view of the fact that in 1936, at a conference between the Municipal Association, Hospitals Boards’ Association and the Counties’ Association the president of the lastnamed body, Mr. C. J. Talbot, said that the conference had been called to settle such questions for all time. Apparently the Farmers’ Union was not prepared to take that view. Wage Tax Or Subsidy? In his annual report to the conference, the president stated that an agreement had been reached between the Counties’ Association and the Municipal Association that the Government should be asked to consider raising the whole of the money required for hospital purposes by a tax on wages and salaries or, alternatively, to provide an increased subsidy.' Unfortunately, owing to the early date of the general elections and the intervention of the summer holidays, it was not possible to arrange a convenient fixture with the Minister. He had now received an invitation to join the Counties Association in a deputation to the Minister of Health, the Hon. P. Fraser, on March 16, which was the earliest date that the Counties’ Association had been able to arrange.