THE CAMEL’S BACK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19898, 28 March 1939, Page 6

THE CAMEL’S BACK

HOSPITAL EXPENDITURE LAST STRAW COMINCJ WA IK 011 U PROTEST (Special to i.he Herald.) TE KARAKA, this day. “The camel’s back is pretty badly bent, now, and it will not be long before the last straw is added, if we do not look out,” stated Cr. M. Doyle at a meeting of the Waikohu County Council to-dav, when discussing the increasing cost of hospital administration. Cr. Doyle considered that the cost and the heavy burden on the ratepayers, particularly on ratepayers in rural districts, were advancing so rapidly and: becoming so heavy that some adjustment in the payment for hospital administration would have to be made. The present position was very near breaking point. These remarks followed the reading of a 'letter from, the Cook Hospital Board, to whom the council had protested against the possibility of hospitall expenditure being greatly increased by the appointment of a radiologist, the board reporting that the matter had been referred to a special committee.

Cr. H. .1. F. Tombleson, a member of the board, explained bis objections to incurring any big expenditure at present. Other members of the council supported the statement that the bftrden of hospital rating was becoming too heavy.

Cr. Doyle moved that the board be written to that the council was becoming alarmed at the manner in which hospital expenditure was increasing and at the way the burden on the ratepayers was accumulating so as 'to be very acute. The motion was seconded by Cr. H. 11. Dods and carried unanimously.