HOSPITAL LEVIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1757, 23 May 1913, Page 3

HOSPITAL LEVIES.

REPLY TO LOCAL BODIES,

BY THE REV. W. A. EVANS. Recent criticism from local bodies with regard to tho increase in the levies imposed upon them by tho Wellington Hospital Board evoked some comment at the monthly meeting of the board yesterday, when remits from the .Lower Hutt Borough Council and the Knrori Borough Council, complaining of the increased levies, wore read.

The chairman (tho Rev. W. A. Evans) remarked that the local bodies ought to bo informed that tho board had cut its expenditure down to tho lowest limits. "If these bodies delay their payments, interest charges will accrue," he said. A rambling discussion followed, during which Mr. J. W. M'Ewan remarked that the only solution of tho difficulty was to nationalise the hospitals, and that must come, a remark that evoked several

"hear, hears." On the motion of Mr. D. M'Laren, the Einanco Committee was instructed to prepare a'report, for the information of tho local bodies, setting out the board's ride. ,

The Board's Side. The following statement by the chairman of the board was handed to the press representatives :— "In view of the criticism that has been directed against the board's administration during the past few weeks, and of the conference of contributory bodies which is to be hold in a few days, it is but right that the public should bo mado conversant with the facts of tho case from the board's point of view. It may bo said that tho board welcomes criticism, and cannot but be pleased with the deep interest that is taken in its work, provided that such criticism and interest are enlightened with knowledge and tempered with the spirit of fair. play. Some of the criticism passed, however, is not based upon fact. Tho high.salaries paid to our officers, the extravagance of tho board in giving leave to the medical superintendent to visit England on full pay, the slipshod methods adopted by tho board in connection with its conduct of business are samples of criticism based upon want of knowledge, as also is the charge that the board is not- making full use <f its endowments.

Salaries and Endowments. "Taking • these seriatim, tho salaries paid by tho board are not out of proportion to tho duties and responsibilities of the officers in quostion; indeed, if compared with similar institutions throughout the Dominion it will be seen that if anything they aro underpaid rather. The of medical Miperint- nd r, ;.t is a most important one, and Dr. HardwickSmitli has proved himself to bo a most able and tactful officer. He has managed the hospital with economy and efficiency. When this board camo into existence "it was decided to make his salary .CIOOO a year by annual increments; this maximum was reached last year, and lis earns every pennv of it. "To bo cheese-paring in this connection is the worst form of extravagance, when we have a capable, man we should make his position such as to enable him to give his best services to tho institution under his charge. lie was given six months' leave, npt on full pays but rather oil halfpay, and the additional experience he will gain in hospital administration will bo to tho advantage of the board. Then wo aro charged -with rushing the work through at our board meetings, without due consideration being given to it. Now it is generally acknowledged that the real work of the board is devolved upon its committees, and must be so by reason of its very nature. The varied interest involved in tho institutions under our charge are of such highly technical character as to render it impossible for eery member of tho board to bo thoroughly convorsant with every detail; there must of necessity bo a certain amount of specialisation, and where there is specialisation there must bo mutual confidence. In the reports presented by the various committees there is embodied a full summary of the work done, and every member has the opportunity of. perusing its contents before the. board meets. That tho work is rushed through with a minimum of attcntiou is a charge that is. not true.

Those Levies. "Now I como to tlie main question of the increased levies for this year, and I would say at the outset that no one regrets this necessity more than wo do; and I would say, further, that had it been possible to carry on with less, none would havo been more pleaded than the members of this board. .But the facts are that the ino;ea'ied demands made upon the hospital by tile public, with the rapid changes in methods of treating diseases, with the increased cost of provisions, and with the wear and tear that is constantly going on in our buildings, and equipments, we cannot help ourselves. During the past year the number of patients under treatment increased from 11201! in 1911-12 to 40G1, and the average number'of patients per day from 25S to 295. Then there was a very largo number of urgent works-that had to be undertaken in connection with tlis sanitary arrangements of the hospital. New lavatories had to be built, enlarged accommodation had to be provided. No doubt the Finance Committee of last year failed to anticipate the demands "that would be made. In their anxiety to keep down the levies as much as possible, and with the balance of between three and four thousand pounds in hand, with tho possibility o£ two thousand pounds for current revenue out of the ten thousand pound loan, they hoped that they would bo able to carry on, but the hopo'was not realised, and we have been compelled to raise the levy from one-oighth of a penny in the .£ to three-sixteenths. It would have been better had the difference been spread over two years, but now that has been rendered impossible.

"Now the last point mentioned is that we should utilise our endowments to greater advantage. The answer to that is that all our endowments are revenueproducing, with the exception of the Riddiford Street frontage and a section in Kclburne Parade. Efforts have been made to dispose of these frojitnges, but 110 offers havo been mado; and everybody knows that properties iu this locality (Riddiford Street) are not in demand, as the City Council's experience with Adelaide Road amply demonstrates. T.IIO fact is that iu the very nature of the trust which the citizens havo called us to administer there is no finality as regards its demands. We arc entrusted with functions that involve not only the curing of diseaso and the alleviation of poverty, but the preservation of tiie health of tho community! Hie prevention of disease and of poverty, and in tho face of the tremendous importance of the work committed to us, and of tlio issues at stake not only for tho present generation, but for tho fenerations that are to follow, we aro constrained to do all tbat lies in our power to carry it out to the bast of our ability, fearless of all criticism."