HOSPITAL RATING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 272, 17 November 1945, Page 4

HOSPITAL RATING

LOCAL BODIES HOPE FOR ' RELIEF SELECT COMMITTEE’S REPORT Considerable relief would be given to ratepayers if that section of the Select Committee’s report dealing with hospital rating were adopted, said the chairman, Cr. A. H, Collins, commenting at the monthly meeting of the Wanganui County Council yesterday on the recommendations made to Parliament recently by the committee which investigated local body affairs. “The recommendation is that the present system of subsidies be abandoned and that instead each local authority in the hospital district shall pay to the board the product of the average rate per pound of capital value of lhe years 1935-36 to 1938-39,’’ the chairman stated. “In the ca e of the Wanganui County, this would mean that the council’s contribution would be £2932, as against this year's levy of £6644, a saving of £3712, or 55.&6 per cent. “The present total levy over the Wanganui Hospital Board area is £57,660, and under the new method it would be £25,448. a reduction of 44.13 per cent. Where the ra-e is relatively high, a further recommendation is that a maximum rate of .7d per pound of rateable capital value be lixed. The rate for the Wanganui Hospital Beard for the period referred to was .27(1. “The effect of the recommendation is that a variation of the incidence of the taxation is suggested. This means that the taxpayer generally, not the

ratepayer a$ such, would shoulder responsibility for all hospital expenditure. over and above what the rate would produce.” A levy on this basis would bo on a flat-rate every year and would not fluctuate, the chairman added. Cr. E. T. Hine: The Government would make up the balance. The chairman: I take it that this money would come from the Social Security Fund. Cr. T. Mitchell .‘aid he hoped that Parliament would consider the report and the commit toe's recommendations at. an early date, possibly during the present session.