HOSPITAL DERATING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 72, 11 May 1945, Page 4

HOSPITAL DERATING

Sir,—lt is time the real truth was told to the. residents of this, district as regards the desire of many for the removal of the Hospital rate. The present hospital financing system is wrong. One has only to look at the present hospitals and to read reports on them } to realise that they are inadequate in size and in equipment and their planning is in the main faulty ? having been built in bits and pieces over years to fit into inadequate sums' of money raised by way of rates and subsidies the latter being controlled by the former. The result is that our sick have for many years been receiving certainly not the best of treatment. Today the system has completely broken down and our hospitals are totally unable to cope with the job. These things are true and admitted by every Hospital their doctors and their staffs. The major reason for all these short comings rests with the method of financing the hospitals. The ever increasing rating of the land has met and will meet Avith stronger and stronger opposition from the not because they do not want better hospitals and treatment for the sick, but because they know the land cannot carry the burden of rates that would be necessary to relieve that object. The rating system has been admitted by "all to be unjust and out dated, New Zealand being the only country left to use it. Ratepayers are taxed twice and arc even liable if they have no income at all. This is wrong. We feel that the only sensible method to successfully finance the hospital system is through a central fund such as the Consolidated Fund, Social Security and Income Tax. Under such a sys-" tem a long term plan of building and equipping hospitals could be entered into with confidence. There is no fear that Local Body control would be lost as it is the only method. that any Government could use. Under the present system the Board has only very limited powers, and there is nothing to fear. It is high time our leaders led us with courage. We are winning the war; let us plasc make provision for winning the peace. We can help tlie. returned man by helping to remove the rate. Yours etc. 5 r. w. dunnlng, Bay of Plenty- Vice-President N.Z.F.U.