INCREASING EXPENDITURE.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14859, 5 September 1918, Page 3

INCREASING EXPENDITURE.

HOSPITAL AND CHAKITARLM AID.

Soino interesting figures Tn regard to liospital and charitable aid expenditure were given hy the chairman (Mr ']'. Neale) at the monthly meeting of the Nelson board yesterday. Mr iN'ealo said that the -average cost of maintenance per head in New Zealand had increased from £100 3s pet annum m 1913 to £109 6s in 1917, the greatest advances being in provisioning, but surgery, domestic service, and salaries also oontriibuted to the increase. During tiio same period the expenditure on charitable aid had increased from .£97,470 m 1913 to £113,0-13 in 1917. A coirifarison of hospital and charitable aid expenditure per head of the population over a period of ten years showed that the cost had intreased from 6s lOd to 10s 113-d. The number of cases under treatment in

hospitals had increased from 19,160 in 1907 to 37,955 in 1£)17, or an average , increase'por 1000 from'l.66 in 1907 to \IM in 1917. I Comparing the running of their own institution with other districts near their own population, yi.j -Hay of Islands, Cook, and Taranaki, the expenditure per head of the population was as follcfws :■ —Bay of Islands, 6s Aid ; Cook, Us 8d; Tarariaki, 7s pel Nelson, fia (Hd. The rate of subsidy received .by Nelson from the Government was £1 Jos9d. ;As to the average duration of treat!mcnt in Lho hospitals per hod. Nelson came up to 3D days, the eighth highest in the Dominion. The average number of beds occupied in the Nelson HospiLal was 65.59, which meant au average of 6S patients a dny. The* cost pcf hod jwas made up as follows:—Provisions,'1 ! £21.33; surgery, £4.38; domestic .serj vice, £16.83; salaries and wages,

£31.70; or a. total cost per/bed occupied of £75.7p 3 not including' capital expenditure. . ■■'-.;■■ ■ ■ ; . ■ lit -regard to the expenditure or charitable aid, the amounts granted ioi indoor relief by the boards mentionec above were as follo\vs:---Bay of "Islands nil; Cook/£812; Taranaki, £2009; ]S!elson.- £2056. For outdoor relief: Bay oi Islands, £417 : Cook, £296: Taranaki; £478; Nelson; ■ £1472. Ihe annual cost of each inmate in the Alexandra Home averaged £38.76, noi including capital expenditure. ' This amount stood at about the average, bui was not iort-. ' ,