THE HOSPITAL TOLL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1731, 23 April 1913, Page 7

THE HOSPITAL TOLL.

UPON THE LOCAL BODIES.

"A REAL DANGER," TO MUNICIPAL FINANCE, Some aspects of hospital administration in its relation to tho ever-increasing burden upon tho financial resources of local bodies in respect of tlio levies imposed upon them by tho board were discussed I>.Y Mr. I'j. I'. Bunny, Mayor of Lower Hutt, in an interview accorded to a rcpresentativo of The Dominion yesterday, ii comments oil tho subject. Mr. Bunny s remarks aro interesting. lho present position appears to mo to liavo arisen from tho inability of the HospitaJ Board to distinguish between what may Ije desirable and what is really necessary," said' Mr. Bunny. "That is tho root of tho matter. I want to emphasise that point. By way .of illustration, I should say, and overyono would agiee, that a Pasteur Institute would bo nil excellent provision for Wellington, but on the score of expense it would be quite beyond the means of a district liko this. On the same grounds I consider that the IntJwlogicall Department at present being tho -W* 1 , Board of ,£BOOO is quite beyond the moans of p<m y ' 10 ? av not,lin ff of tl'O cost of .1500 for equipment and tho annual charges of J;(jOO for tho pathologist, and tho salaries of two assistants. This deI arttnent of public ilieaith may be a very desirable institution, but i& prevision 6eems to 1110 to bo moro a matter for tho general Government to undertake. A trovermnent Department alreadv exists for for the bS. 15 a " Kponsivo luxu «'

I A few years ago," continued- Mr. Bunny, the wholo work of the hospital was very woll_ done by Dr. Ewart,. whoso salary was .£iso, with residence and ono assistant. Iho present .medical superintendent, who draws'a salary of £1000 has three assistants, and in addition to that Jie is at present on a trip Home on run pay to make these appointments to the I athological and Bacteriological Infiutute. AY hat assurance has the Hospital Board that Dr. Hnrdwieko Smith will continue in his Appointment for anv length of time on his return to Wellington;' the position ivs it affects the contributing local bodies is becoming iso acute that licroie measures would seem to be the only method of securing some alleviation of the strain upon their finances. If £he Government could- bo persuaded to take the matter in hand and review the position with regard to this Pathological Institute, arid tlio'heavy expenditure involved in the employment of ail expensivo staff, with tho consequent and inevitable drain upon our already,exhausted resources, the instructions for the appoiutment of iho pathologist nnd his assistants could bo countermanded. At all events the further progress of this costly institution might bo -arrested pending some oquitablo readjustment of tho levies at present made ■ upon tho local bodies.

"A;ow," continued Mr. Bunny, "wo will consider another department of hospital administration which was grafted on to tho board when Dr. Valintine's Department was reorganised. I refer to tho district health inspection,: formerly attended to by . the Government. Tlio board has now appointed tlireo inspectors of public health and sanitation, their salaries and expenses running into .something liko ,£3OO a year. The cost of > disinfection — siipply of sulphur, formalin, etc.—was formerly paid out of the Consolidated Fund. It is now provided by tho local bodies. Again, something liko X3OOO a year was formerly paid out of tho Consolidated Fund in respect of medical- services 1 for the Maoris of New Zealand. The Ilosoital Board now does this work and the local bodies have to pay,: Tlio Wellington Board's official returns show that the number of out-patients has increased from 202,1 in 1900, to 950S in 1913.' The medical attendances on these have risen from 11,597 in 190G, to 17,934 in 1913. Tlio growth of tho population over that period has been quito a moderate percentage on tlio figures for 1900, yet tho statistics for treatment of the ont-patients show an increaso of something liko 4-00 per cent on what it was then, while tho percentage iu respect of tho in-patients is 74. "Does not all this show tliac tho Hospital Board has allowed extravagance upon extravagance to pilo up without making any serious attempt to check or oven examine tho causes:, that have contributed to this growth in its -expenditure? I merely call attention to this matter," concluded Mr. Bunny, "because I think that unlefs some measures aro taken io keep . expenses within such reasrinablo limits as i will not put too great a financial strain upon municipalities, there is a real danger that in a very short timo there will bo such a demand -upon tlio rates of local councils to meet the levies mado by tlio board—already sufficiently high—that there will bo no funds out p'f which lo carry on liecessary local municipal requirements, such as street maintenance." A UNITED PROTEST. LOCAL BODIES AROUSED. The big increase in tho levies mado on all Wellington contributing bodies to tho Hospital and Charitnblo Aid Board, has thoroughly roused several of the local bodies. The Miramar Borough Council, whoso contribution hag been increased by 33 per cent this year,; has discussed tho position, and as i.lio outcome of that discussion it was dccided to write to all other bodies interested with a view to making a united protest against tho growth of hospital and charitable aid expenditure in Wellington. Already tho Upper Hutt Town Board has agreed to participate in tho protest to bo made which it is yet hoped by the Miramar Council, will lead to a reduction in tho current year's expenditnrei PROTEST FROM KARORI, Upon receipt last evening of tho official notification of the Hospital levy for the Karori borough for the current year, several councillors commented in adverse terni9 upon tho burden laid upon tho borough's finances by the increasing toll which was being exacted by the Wellington Hospital Board. The town clerk pointed out that tho levy for tho borough, .£391 4s. 8d„ was an increase of .£IOO 10s. Bd. Tho 1903-4 levy was .£l7l Ss. Bd. only. It was further pointed out that tho borough had suffered a decrease in population, and in tho rateable valuo of tlio district.

TUo council's inward correspondence also included n letter from the MHramar Borough Council asking for the co-operation of tlie .TCnrori Council in protesting against; the increase in tho levy.

Councillor AV. llildreth remarked that tflio/ wholo system was wrong. Theso Hospital levies, ho contended, should be provided for out of the Consolidated Fund, not. by the local bodies. Councillor A. Jlaniilton endorsed tho remarks of tho previous speaker, and said that a united protest should bo nuulo by all 1 tho local bodies. The counoil agreed to co-opcrnte with tho Miramar Council in tho direction suggested.