VOLUNTARY GIFTS

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17127, 23 April 1921, Page 10

VOLUNTARY GIFTS

QUESTION OF GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY. HOSPITAL BOARD'S SECRETARY'S VIEWS. Mr.W. S. Wharton, secetary of th« North Canterbury Hospital Board, stated at tho Hospitals' Commission yesterday that many srnns ■received by hospital boards as voluntniy contributions to the funds, and msd-» in order to secure the Government mjl>sidy of 24s for each 20s, wore not properly voluntary contributions. In tlie past sums, that, properly spfcking, should luivo been credited to a fees account, or treated us a payment on account of maintenance, had been treated as voluntary contributions for tho direct purposo of securing subsidy. He know of an instance wkero a gentleman made a gift Mil kind to nn institution, ana he was induced to toko payment for Uu« Article* and allow the cbequo to !>>> treated as a- subscription, so as to secure the 24a in the pound. Hub practical!v rondored littlo or no service to Uw Board, nor did it redound to tho credit of tho officer and members, and-was calculated to undermine tlie morality of thoso engaged in the Board's. administration. It had to bo retncmbor»«d that many patients ;wcre only too wjli. <ing on leaving tho institution to offoto mnko contributions to* it, reganling that as sufficient recompense for the treatment accorded them, and having no intontion whatever of paying the ordinary maintenance charge Ho had received, on more than ono occasion, an offer of a subscription, but had declined it until tho maintenance account had been defrayed: where subscriptions were loft in that way, and the riainteoan-o account had not been paid, tho sum* had been Applied towards ttio rcduotinu of tho amount in question, and no claim for subsidy was mode. An oxI ecutor of an estate had paid £IOO aa a bequest to tho Old Men's Homo at Ashburton by the father of a man who had been maintained at *he Homo for some years; as no attempt was made during tho man's lifetime to pay maintenance, tho £IOO was applied to maintenance account rather than creating a tr\ist and applying for a Governnwnt subsidy on it.' ..... "This Board, is somewhat exceptional in the wav it considers this extra suitsidy/ of 45," remarked Dr. T. H. A. Valintinc, Director-General of Health, referring to.the North Canterbury Hospital Board." "Mr Wharton has been always most honourable in regard to this subsidy question," Dr. Valihtino added. J Mr Wharton in his evidence had referred to the possible undermining o( tho morality of the officers of boards in connexion vjth tho subsidy on voluntary contributions. ■ '

-.. Mr- E. Killick. {Tnder-Secretary «f Health, htiid that it was a fact that tbey had had cases of misappropriation nf funds by hoards' officers. "Once a. mail gets used to robbing tho Government in this way, and llio does it repeatedly, it undermines his morality, rand fyo will soon begin, to direct his llefnrious practices in other quarters, such as patient*' fees. I:think it offers a great temptation to adopt false methods and to start misappropriating." The chairman (Mr.V. H. Heed, M.P.): You are not advocating tho ( abolition of such voluntary contributions? : Mr Killick: I (hare already point*! out in Wellington the gnat abuses that exist; I am- now pointing out the easo with which the'system can be taken advantage of* • t'^ :.Tho chairman referred to campaign* in tho North Auckland district under* taken by the commercial travellers, wfoo raised somo' thousands of pounds mul distributed the amount amongst tho hospitals in the district. They certainly looked for. the Government subsidy pu the amount raised. ; JUr Wharton: If there was no sitb.vHy they: would possibly redouble t'Jfeir efforts. Frequently when voluntary 'contributions are collected they come 4 mit of .the same pot-kets that find the none? ordinarily:- under the Hospitals Act you: hnve-methods provided tor raising '.tho necessary. funds. *n campaigns' In . Cliristchurdh. the Bame (people liercr seem to get a badgo in their buttonholes.. (Laughter.) Replying to tho chairman, Mr What. ton. said that for the year ended March ,31st, 1021, the amount of voluntary contributions on wfoieh Government subsidy was paid was £74. No claim was made in respect of voluntary contributions for Christmas gifts, Christina* trees, and presents for patients—sum contributions wore not considered as part of tho Board's funds.

Replying to the Hon. W. H. Trifftts. M.L.C., Mr Wharton said that the funds raised by the Lady Hospital Victors' Association did not receive the subsidy. The Christchuroh Royal Musical Society had given "Tho Messiah" and had devoted the proceeds to the patient*, but no subsidy wa* applied for. Funds so raised wore not handed to the Board; those who collected them reserved . tho right to go round the i»tients in a sympathetic manner and make presents. , - 3lr Wharton'stated in his cvidenctfiflchief that ho was distinctly of opinion, taking everything into consideration, that a, subsidy on voluntary contributions was not desirable.