HOSPITAL LEVIES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19886, 13 March 1939, Page 6

HOSPITAL LEVIES

POPULATION BASIS LOCAL BODIES' REJECTION REPLY TO FARMERS' UNION EQUITABLE PAYMENT (IVi- Press Association.) MASTERTON, this day. Ri answer to an official statement issued by the Farmers' Union, the president of the Municipal Association, Mr. T. Jordan, states that the figures quoted by him at the Dunedin conference were compiled by the Health Department in 1935 and represented levies made upon local bodies for the year 193-1-35. They were the latest figures at the time Mr. Jordan made his request to Ihe department for them. The incidence of the levy had net been altered in the meantime. Although the actual amounts had increased considerably, the percentage as between urban and rural areas, would be approximately the same today. "The fact that the figures appear to have caused some alarm to the Farmers' Union seems fully to justify their publication," said Mr. Jordan. At a confrence -between the Municipal Association, the Counties' Association and the Hospital Boards' Association held in February, 193 G, to discuss the incidence of hospital taxation, the chairman of the Counties' Association. Mr. C. J. Talbot, who presided, placed on the order paper, inter alia, two remits, including the population factor. The first was that the levy on each local body should be assessed entirely on a population basis and the second suggested that it should be assessed as to 50 per cent on a population basis and as to 50 per cent on a valuation basis. Proposals Struck Out The chairman stated, and it was recorded in the minutes, that these remits had been included in order to have them dealt with for all time, and they were unanimously struck out by the three associations. The altitude of the Municipal Association to theseremits had had the substantial and disinterested support of the Commissioner of Taxes since 1923, when he concluded an inquiry into the incidence and computation of hospital levies with these words: "To adop ! population as a factor for rating purposes would be wholly indefensible." At Mr. Jordan's request prior to th>: conference of 1936, the department hac taken out figures for some of the hospital districts, including the population factor, and these showed that the effect would be materially to lessen the burden on the larger and more prospreous boroughs and counties at the expense of those much less able to pay. The three associations were unanimous that the proper basis upon which the hospital levy should 'be made was ability to pay; in other words, upon salaries and wages. "To press that view is the object of the deputation from the Municipal Association and Counties' Association which will wait upon the Minister of Health, the Hen. P. Fraser, during this week," said .Mr. Jordan. "The Legislature has already adopted this basis in its Social Security Act, which provides for part only of the hospital expenditure of the day."