HOSPITAL EXPENDITURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16416, 3 May 1921, Page 2

HOSPITAL EXPENDITURE.

CENTRES COMPARED. [Per Press Association.! WELLINGTON, May 2. Before the Hospitals Commission, Frederick Castle, chairman of the. Wellington Board, was asked to explain why Auckland spent only £64,000 on f3(5 beds, while Wellington spent £'62,000 on 392 beds; also why salaries raid wages at Wellington totalled £23,000 against Auckland’s £IB,OOO. He said that it was unfair to pick out any one year as had been done. Salaries of nurses were higher in Wellintgon than in Auckland, which had 23 nurses and Wellington 30. Th© Auckland outdoor staff was only 11. compared with Wellingtons 39. Wellington also maintained a laundry’. Mr Shirtcliffe. a member of the Commission, pointed out Auckland’s population was 177.437. and expenditure on outdoor relief £15,135, or Is B£d per head ; North Canterbury, population 142,021, outdoor relief £6058, or 11 Jd per head: Otago, population 111,691, £7201, or Is 3fcd per head; Wellington, population 109,502, £22,300, or 4s Id per head. Mr Castle declined to accept th© statement that the Wellington figures were as stated by Mr Shirtliff©. Estimates of indoor and outdoor relief wore £15,000. Mr Killick, secretary of the Department, said that the previous year’s figures for outdoor relief were :—Auckland £IO,OOO, Wellington £SOOO. Mr Shirt- ' cliffe’s quotation might include relief to epidemic widows. The chairman said that since 1914 the ‘ cost of outdoor relief in the Dominion ’ had risen by £40,000.