HOSPITAL COSTS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 63, Issue 4465, 18 August 1941, Page 4

HOSPITAL COSTS

ATTITUDE OF THE STATE. LETTER FROM THE MINISTER. At to-day’s meeting of the Waipa County Council, the secretary of the New Zealand Counties’ Association forwarded a copy of a letter to the Minister of Health and reply thereto. The text of the letter to the Minister was as follows:—“There is considerable unrest amongst our county councils at present over their everincreasing levies to hospital boards. At a recent meeting of my executive, the basis of hospital rating was very j fully discussed. Members were unanimous in stating that the present basis was unfair, and that immediate relief was necessary. Members strongly advocated that the basis of such taxation should be on the capacity of the people to pay, and not as at present on the ownership of property. With this policy in view, this organisation urges that the whole charge of hospitals should be levied upon income, salary, and wages, as is the case under the Social Security Act. Members welcomed your reported statements that there was immediate need for an investigation into the whole incidence of hospital rating, and respectfully asks that the contributory bodies to hospital boards be consulted during the investigation.” MINISTER’S REPLY. The reply of the Minister of Health was as follows:—“The statements thaf I have made recently regarding this matter were prompted by numerous representations that had been made to me by hospital boards throughout the country. I cannot commit the Government to more than I have already said, namely that the whole question should be thoroughly examined, but I can assure you that no step affecting hospital boards and the various contributory bodies will be taken without first informing them and giving them an opportunity for discussion. My Departmental officers are now engaged in preparing a report which I intend to submit to Cabinet at the first available opportunity, and I hope that I will have definite proposals to make before very long.” INFORMATION DESIRED. At the request of the Association, the Council decided to instruct its clerk to supply information on the following points:—(l) The amount of annual levy to your hospital board for the last three years; (2) the effect of Social Security on the hospital rating problem; and (3) any other factors tending to increase the levy. Mr W. S. Goosman, M.P., wrote acknowledging the Council’s' resolution protesting against the system of hospital rating and promised to go into the matter when in Wellington. Mr W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., writing on the same subject, stated that representations were being made and pressed home from many quarters. He added that the position was wholly unfair and that he was losing no opportunity to protest.