HOSPITAL DEBTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13394, 18 September 1907, Page 2

HOSPITAL DEBTS.

The Hospital Board spent- a considerable time vtsterday.m committee, disciusiurr a case* iii which steps had Ik en taken in" secure a. mortgage, over a property left by a man who had died -owing between £7O and' £BO for hospital treatment. Ho, left a widow and a numerous familv; most of them grown up. The Board proposed to take /the mortgage as eecuritv for the debt; but to leave the widow'in possession of the home for life, free of interest. The woman waited 'on (he Board toprotest against- the demand, on the-ground that the property tub to go tooths children, and that one of the sons had put tome' £SO into it. A letter was read which stated, that the deceased had left the property to one son by will, nn condition that- the widow was allowed to occupy it -for life, and this son offered £ls in settlement of the claim. _ The Board concurred '' .in the opinion 'that a Hospital debt, as a claim upon it, ought to be paid before the property passed to another generation. The widow was assured that- sit* would not be- disturbed in her home by the Board ifSt-he mortgage were given, that in fact .'he would be more, certain of keeping it. Sh?, however, objected that it was to ...become the property of the children. ' , Finally it was decided that steps should be taken to secure the mortgage, but as an alternative the Board would accept a payment of £SO, the amount to be paid within one month. The Board, it was stated, has frequently taken mortgages of properties as was proposed "in this case, but hitherto these have all been taken as a means of securing a return for • outdoor relief rendered during the life of the mortgagor. An unpaid Hospital debt it was remarked was only another form of charitable aid. Mention was made of a case in which a, bill of £l7O had been, run up for prolonged treatment of a, case of, hip disease which is still in the hospital, and the relatives have no property and are unable to pay anything. -'