PRIME MINISTER CRITICISED

Chronicle (Levin), 29 June 1946, Page 5

PRIME MINISTER CRITICISED

HOSPITAL RATES AS POLITICAL PROPAGANDA XFAV PLYMO PTIT. June 28. Prit icising the Prime JMinister for liis attitude when tlie deputation from tlie Municipal Association and ( ounties Association asked that he implcnient the reooiiimendalion made by the Local (Tovennnent Poniniission conceining hosprtal rating, the^Preside.nt of tlie (hnijittfis ' Association, v "Af r. W. Cr. Belton, of Waverley, said "toiiighP_ that II on. W. H. Parry, Minister in 'eliarge of tlie Ponnnissioii, stood by its lindings and did not support Mr. Fraser in tliis respect. The Pommission, comprising mainly Labour members, was told that it was not to consider party politics, continued M r. Belton. Tlie faet that it was unanimous in its reconimendation clearly indicated that tlie Oovernment was now allowing party politics to transcend justiee. When tlie deputation waited on Mr. Fraser, Mr. Parry was also present. Mr. Fraser said "he eould not sign his name to wliat was in the report about hospital rating but Mr. Parry supported the Pommission. Xothing eould be done to implenient the Ponimission's reconimendation, Mr. Fraser had said, and there would be no relief for local bodies tliis year.

Mr. Belton pointed out that hospital rates of from 15 to 20 counties were 70 per cent. liigher tliis year than last. About 30 to 40 of them showed an increase of betwecn 40 and 50 per cent. In some cases the inerease talcen between tlie years 1936-37 and tlie years 1946-47, showed a rise of from 300 to 400 per cent. Proniises given by the Government that social sechrity would reduce hospital levies, had not been borne out and as the tendency was for hospital costs to inerease stijl further, even greater lev* s would re^ilt. Eeferring to the suggestion by Mr. Fraser that he would not allow wealthy land owners to evade taxation, Mr. Belton said that on top of the social seeurity tax, the income tax and, in a very large number of cases, the land tax, many tliousands of small landpwners were to be further burdened by way of hospital levies so that the large landowners sliould not escape. The fact that many towns and borouglis were also beeoming restive indicated tliat hospital levies were pressing lieavily on town ratepayers as well.^ Air. Fraser 's statenient tliat hospital patients would suffer was dismissed by Mr. Belton as "an effort to create political propaganda to support an untenable contention. ' '