HOSPITAL LEVIES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 72, Issue 6238, 5 June 1946, Page 9

HOSPITAL LEVIES

PROTEST BY FARMERS ACTION BY FEDERATED FARMERS Following a reference by the acting Dominion president, Mr W. N. Perry, at the conference in Hamilton of Federated Farmers, Waikato Province, to the unfairness of the present method of obtaining funds for hospital maintenance, the Cambridge branch asked the conference to protest very strongly against the large increase in hospital levies made on county councils, and to call on the Government to grant relief immediately by implementing the findings of the Local Bodies Rating Commission. . Mr H- P. Hewitt (Te Miro), speaking in support, said he understood the Waikato Hospital Board had not had cognisance of building needs, yet it had imposed a 75 per cent, increase in the annual levies. Mr F. L. Onion (Te Kowhai) said the issue was a very live one among farmers. There was no indication that this year’s levy would not be repeated year after year. Ratepayers were being very unfairly treated. The recent commission on local government had recommended a greater contribution from the consolidated fund, but there was no indication that the Government would accept that recommendation. He quoted the commission’s recommendations in confirmation. The Government was recommended to provide for the ultimate abolition of the hospital rate. Waipa County Council was sponsoring a mass meeting of members of all local bodies in the Waikato Hospital Board’s district, and the Minister of Health was being urged to attend. Common justice was demanded. Another speaker urged caution, as urban local bodies were striving for the same objective, and there was a likelihood of the rural interests being. further imposed upon. The Cambridge remit was adopted. The meat and wool section urged that Federated Farmers be invited to the conference on hospital levies. This was agreed to, the executive to appoint delegates.