N.Z. HOSPITALS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17128, 25 April 1921, Page 8

N.Z. HOSPITALS.

SATURDAY'S SITTINGS OF COMMISSION.

The Hospitals' Commission resumed on Saturday morning, under tlhe chairmanship of Mr V. H. Reed, M.P.

Chairman of Hospital Board.

Henry John Otley, chairman of ( the North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, stated that Mr "Wharton had placed the position of the Board in his evidence,' v-ftich witness generally endorsed. To Mr Triggs: It would be necessary in the future to meet capital'expenditure out of loans, as hospital boards had no, security to put on the market. To the chairman: As far as the hospitals in the four centres were concerned, there should be no difference in the rate of subsidy. < As to subsidy on voluntary contributions, the vote of £ fo" £ would be satisfactory, such subsidy being restricted to contributions for tho purpose of capital expenditure approved by the Department and the Board; the limit of £SOO, beyond which no bequests carried subsidy, should be removed, and bequests carry the same subsidy as voluntary contributions. "Dlie work done by Mount Magdala was done better and more economically than if controlled by the Government or the Board; Mount Magdala and the orphanages not connected with tho Board., received voluntary contributions which would be lost if under the control of the Government or the Board. He was of opinion tlhat Government grants to such institutions should be on,a better basis than at present. To Mr Shirtcliffe: The giants should be based, rather, on the number of inmates than on the amount of voluntary contributions. In plaoe of the proposed central hoard to purchase hospital supplies, witness favoured the Auckland, Wellington, Chrisschurch, and Dunedin Hospital Boards undertaking the buyin'g for"their respective hospitals, and also for the small hospitals within their respective districts. W. S. TVharton v secretary of the North Canterbury Board, recalled, stated that buying on the system suggested by Mr Otley would be easily arranged, provided the articles used : n the different hospitals were standardised. He did not think that the smaller hospitals should be compelled to -get their supplies through the main Hospital Board—it should be optional on their part, and a matter of- friendly arrangement. Biccarton Evidence. A. D. Ford, Mayor of Riccarton, stated that the Riccarron Borough Council considered that in calling up capital expenditure the period should be five or ten years; .in the, case of large capital expenditure, the money should be raised by loan with a term of, say, ten years. The representation on ijie Board ought to be more hi proportion to the amount of contribution made than in respect of the population of the district. To the chairman: He favoured local bodies nominating their representatives on tlhe Hospital-Board instead of mem-, bers being elected. The cost of maintenance should be paid- by the Government out of the Consolidated Fund. There was an idea prevalent amongst the public that hospital expenditure was too nigh, though tlhe work done by the Board was .greatly appreciated: the public did not recognise that the hospital rate included the charitable aid, for the Orphanage, and Che Old Men's Home; if the rate demand notice separated the portion of the rate for the hospital from that for charitable aid, the ground of complaint would be removed. The chairman: The public must be hard to please—the rate in Christchurch is the iowest of any in the capital towns of New Zealand: it is less than id. _ This concluded the Commission's sittings in Christchurch. It willnext sit in Dunedin, opening there to-morrow.