The Southland Hospital

Southland Times, Issue 19540, 20 April 1905, Page 2

The Southland Hospital

KEQUISITION REDUCED. Al (lie monthly meeting ol the Hospital Trust, Tuesday evening, a letter was received from the H. and C.A. Board, asking the Trust to reduce the amount of the annual requisition. The •Joat'd, in ti-.eir letter, stated that during the lasts three or four years the cost of managvment of the hospital had increased so materially that it would be almost necessary to raise an extra rate to meet the increased demands. In some of the items at least a considerable reduction should be made, and the proposed expenditure for repairs called for particular notice. During the twelve months just ended £705 had been expended on repairs and on the balcony, and the Board felt that to ask for £350 this year for a new milk room and repairs was an excessive demand. Compared with the working cost of the institution in 1900-1 there, was an increase of upwards of £llOO, and of £B5O as c >mparetl with tite working cost of 1901-2. The iimotme of the requisition applied for was £3267 ; that of the previous year was £2786/ x All tire members of the Trust were present, and after the letter ha.d been fully discussed a resolution was passed redtic- -• ing the requisition by £2OO, on the understanding that the Board would make up any deficiency that might ensue on account of the deduction. The remarks of the chairman of the H. and C.A. Board (Mr A. Bain) were criticised. Ho had stated that the requisition had been increased by £490 as compared with 1904-5, but had not mentioned that in that year the Trust had in hand a balance of £5OO from the previous year, otherwise the req,uitio"n would have been larger by that amount. This would have made the 1904-5 requisition £3286,0r only £66 less than the present one, to which must be added the £76 credit balance in hand, making, a total of £3352. It was also incorrectly stated that the increase of salaries was £44o' as compared with 1900-01, the increase being £240. The increases of amounts could be explained in many ways, but the principal reasons were that the number ot patients-had increased 30 per cent., and Ihe staff were now working eight haul's instead of twelve as in that year. In regard to" the alterations proposed in the building, some of them had been urged on the Trust by the Inspector oi Hospitals, and it was considered necessary to carry out his suggestions.