SATURATION POINT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 122, 27 June 1941, Page 5

SATURATION POINT

PUBLIC HOSPITAL RATING COUNTY CHAIRMAN'S VIEW Reviewing the estimates for the current year the chairman of the Whakatane County cil, ! Mr J. L. Burnett, at Tuesday's meeting stated that it was possible to reduce the general rate for the county by and l he congratulated! the county as a whole on the excellent way in which the people had met their rating obligations. The native rate collection had also been most satisfactory. One Black Spot. "However, there is one black spot" said Mr Burnett, "anil that is Hospital rating." He continued that the rate had increased 110 per cent in five years and although it had been possible to reduce the general rate the county woukl ITot receive; much benefit so long as; the present system of hospital rating remained. Strong Protest Needed. "It is time a strong protest was made to the Government and an al teration in the present system of hospital rating demanded," he said, - adding that he had not been able U : meet the Minister of Health on Saturday last, but had noted that h<s * had lately agreedt that a change in " the system was desirable. Saturation Point, "I am surprised that more vigor--bus action lias not been taken before by Hospital Boards and the position is now that we have reached satura, tion point and can no longer stand further increases. In 1934 the rate was l-3d and now it is l%d. It n not fair or reasonable to the ratepayers. I think we should warn the Hospital Board that we cannot increase the rate any further," he concluded, when once again saying that the county as a whole was to bo •congratulated on the position of the -finance and the county as a whole. What Remedy. Cr A. F. McGougan asked the chairman what he would suggest regarding the hospital rating. Would he suggest that hospital boards die? not undertake further building. Hos • pital Boards had protested against the rating system but at the same time bad to provide* accommodation //or the people. The chairman said that hisi suggestion was merely that the matter should be taken up very strongly with the Government. Strike of Ratepayers. ""The only way is to strike and refuse to pay rates," said Cr H- C. McGready, "and then the Government when they find the well dry will have to devise other ways of finding the money." He added that the Hospital Boards had done their best and that the local institution had kept its expenses: reasonably low. The chair: We have no complaint about that. Cr McGready continued that on •one hand the council made an effort to make it easier for the, ratepayers to meet their obligations, but at the -'same time on the other hand the ; costs were getting away. The Government just forced the expense upon the ratepayers. Discovered at Last. The speaker said that after twenty years of the system of rating the Minister had "let the cat •out" and agreed that the matter -should be remedied, but unless the Government was kept up to making the alteration thermit tie use would -be served. i Social Security the Trouble. Cr Burt reviewed the amount of •money spent on the hospital stating that there was never any finality. If the Government said that £50,000 was needed to bring the facility up-to-date for say ten years then the •position would not be so bad. but it was ever a casei of adding with the expenditure creeping higher. The whole trouble in hiss opinion was the Social Security. "Once you hardly saw a native in the hospital and now they rush it."

"Yes, you have to burn the place /lown to get thein out," intorjretc<l Cr MeCready. — -■v Cr AlcGougan said he could no 1 see any way of reducing the, expenditure at the present time and the only remedy was to approach tb<; Government in a very firm way. Al! local bodies and ratepayers should .join In the protest.