INCREASED HOSPITAL LEVIES FORECAST

Chronicle (Levin), 16 April 1946, Page 4

INCREASED HOSPITAL LEVIES FORECAST

J ^ BOARD MAY HAVE TO ASK FOR j * ADDITIONAL £36,000 | ContrilHiting local bodies to tlie Pfi.1- ■ merston Nortli Hospital Board face tke ; prospect of iiavbig td find .a greatly increased levv during the coming yedr, ] aceording to a forecast given by tlie I managmg-secretary (Mr. A. J. Phil- ' lipps) at the monthly ineetilig o,f the | board held in PaltiidPstdh North yestef- ; day. The annual meeting of the board I is to be held on Thursday, May 2. ' Mr. Phillipps reported that advice ; had been received from the department j that the (loverfinifeilt had overp&id i £9,7,000 iii subsidies during the pdst j year. This amount was to be recoveted I and a levy had been placed on boards l basdd on dapital valuations, which, in i the case 6f the Palmerston North i board, -was very high. The board-' s share would be £4700, This would have to be found out of next vear 's dnanees. The boai'd bfegail the past yeai' £18,000 ddwn, said Mr. Phillipps-, and fmished thfe year £23,000 down. The subsidies had "been overspent by gpj) roximately £5000 and the board had not r'epaid ijts overdraft. This meant they woiild finish the year £28,000 ddwn, and together with £6000 dr £7000 increases in ' expenditures, the board would have to j budget for an extra £36,000 next yeai". Mr. A. E. JMansford: About two years ; ago you meutioned a date when we j ihight lodk forward to a reduction in i the levies. What date did you menJtion? Mr. Phillipps: 1948, Ave hope, • ! Tlie increased amount included the j letrospet-tive salary increases paid to i staff members, tlxese increases being j largeiy responsible for the need foi" a | jarge budget. Tlie total approximate capital value' I of tlie rateable property in the board 's I district as " !it April 1, 1946, was (£31,204,108, said Mr. Phillipps. The ! total the previous year was £30,494,063. j The capital ealtie of each eontiibu1 tory local district in the board's area, \ as assessed by the Yaluer-General (Mr. iL MdClintock), were as under: —

1946 1949 £ • £ PHliilerston North : $.,122/231 7,832,039 Munawatu .. . . ? Mjl55,391 4,162,371 Foxtofi ;U307,297 307,422 Oroua 3,271,783 3,275,833 Peilding .. .. ,. 1,392,220 1,390,830 Horowuenua" ; 4,367,998 4,349,813 Otaki . . .... . . 348,204 336,114 Shannon . . .. 140,670 138,580 Levin 1,307,510 ' 901,444 Iviwitea .. .. ... 2,638,749 2,646,794 Pohangina . . . . 1,283,843 1,235,021 Kairangas .. .'. 3,918,207 3,918,302