The Waimate Advertiser. (Established 1898). Published every evening since 1914. FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1927. HOSPITAL MATTERS.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIV, 22 April 1927, Page 4

The Waimate Advertiser. (Established 1898). Published every evening since 1914. FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1927. HOSPITAL MATTERS.

The annual return placed before the Hospital Committee on Wednesday last by the Steward, Mr W. G. Paul, makes very interesting readtug. We have always realised the difficulties of estimating Hospital expenditure in advance. The greatest knowledge cannot foresee the coming of epidemics, large and small, what the health of a people may be or what the number of accident cases will involve in treatment. It has ever seemed to us that a great allowance must be made for emergencies. But we find that the estimates a.re made u'p from year to year to almost exact forecasts by the men who shoulder this portion of public service. The local committee has again come out with a slight credit balance, and the members must be given the thanks of the . community for their .accurate forecast and their able handling of the ' monies of the Institution. Great credit is due to the officers of the Institution for the success attending the production of vegetables, dairy produce, and pork on the small farm. The accounting for this shows that the products paid all the cost for this section of the work, and also bore the whole of the expense attached to the gardens and grounds, except the small sum of £24. The place filled in this community by the Waimate Hospital is shown by 665 admissions for the year, which is an increase of 100 over the year previous. That the community has to bear the burden of the care of the sick, in large measure, may be seen by the total cost for the year for administration, £6,878 —and the fees collected, £1,674, which are scarcely a quarter of the outlay. This is quite in keeping with the law of public hospitals, that the beds are first for the indigent. Much has been written lately about the Home Hospitals, and the financing of these huge institutions on voluntary contributions, but New Zealand has by far the more equitable and satisfactory method of finance in Government subsidies of local, rates. We congratulate Mr Geddes and his com mittee on the success of their year, and assure them that their services are not unappreciated by the wide district which is served by the Waimate Public Hospital.