HOSPITAL ESTIMATES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2012, 20 March 1914, Page 9

HOSPITAL ESTIMATES.

EXPENDITURE £54,000,

RECEIPTS NEARLY £14,000. Summary estimates of receipts a>d expenditure for the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid district were presented to the board at its monthly meeting yesterday, as follow:— .Expenditure. £ Wellington Hospital 34,470 Out-patients and Bacteriological Block 410 Ohiro Home and Charitable Aid 12,230 Otaki -Hospihl ..-...- 1,340 Otaki Sanatorium 2,695 Head Office, Public Health, and Native.Nurso ....' t 2,910 Total ..'. 54,055 Receipts, Wellington Hospital ............... 9,035 Out-patients 410 Ohiro Homo and Charitable Aid 1,980 Otaki Hospital 150 Otaki Sanatorium 350 ■Head. Office .................; 490 Estimated assots at March 31, 1914 ..-....: ...: 1,400 T0ta1;......'.;........./.... 13,815 Excess of expenditure over receipts £40,240, as against £40,770 for 1913-14: Tho detailed estimates for charitable »id and the Ohiro Homo were as fol<aw: — '■'■.' ,'■■■■.' v ■•':■•.' '.■'', ■■~-.' £ For the Ohiro Home 3,250 „ Outdoor relief 2,500 „ Children in industrial schools 5,500 ■■■ „ Children in special schools 370 „ Outdoor medical relief ....... 100 „ Painting exterior of Ohiro Home 150 „ Contingencies 360 ; , '■; ', ."•' £12,230 Less estimated receipts 1,980 Total .......;............. £10,250 Further details regarding each branch wero sot out, and will be supplied to all contributing bodies.' Mr. H. Baldwin said that ovcry care had been taken in preparing the estimates. In every direction where possible they had been kept down, and he thought that they would be acceptable to contributing bodies. Mr. R. R: Garneuer suggested that in future detailed accounts Should be kept of all receipts and expenditure in each institution, for the information of members of the board. He moved that after March 20 this should be, done, and a report furnished six months. Mr. J. Coylo (secretary): The information can be given to any. member on application'. In answer to a question, Mr. Baldwin explained that "extra provision had been made this year .'for charitable aid, notwithstanding that 'during the year they had not spent all the money provided in. the;estimates. .They had nine extra patients permanently ;in Ohira Homo-, and £IH4 had also been provided for tho children. ■ The number of. children they maintained seamed tojhe.increas- - ing every year. ".■■ ■~_■' Mr. J. W. M'Ewan thought pressure should be brought on the Education Department to collecb'from thpso parents responsible- for tho maintenance of children. ' ", ; '

Mr* J. Smith: Air sorts of pressure! has bean brought Upon the Education Department.to give us somo idea as to who''.the. children are, so that wo .can get.a littlej.more,,out, of,tho persons '■liable these' children.',' ,'■',, ■" Mr..D. M'Laren congratulated Mr: .Baldwin (treasurer), on his statement. •The details were very complete. Comparative, tables, he thought, should bocarried out right through, as was done in ■■ the • charitable, aid branch. Mr. M'Lareit deprecated "cheese-paring," however, .when dealing with the' staff. He was satisfied, the local bodies wouldreceive- the estimates 'with tho fullest confidence .that the board was doing the best for < '■"' 1 and the public. Notwithstanding Tnn industrial trouble, the hoard had wliiiin the last estimate for charitai)' ( aid.' Tho committee thought it \v" proper to mak6 provision in the' present estimates for any extra stress .which :migiit'occur during the coniing winter. .'.','. ■ Dr. Mackenzie thought it was the duty of the board to make' another at: tempt out how tho children the board paid for were being brought The supervision of tho people boarding out children was not sufficient; He eug- ' gested tlioy should contisnally urge the matter on tho Minister. It was in the interests of the State that they should be brought up to ho good citizens. Ho was not caring- how much they paid so long as.they were brought up as good citizens,

Tlie chairman said that the criticism thai had been passed showed that thora. was little fault, to iiud with tlio esti mates as submitted. A comparison between the amount collected from patients in' Auckland and Wellington could not be accepted on the face va'uo. They had to go into tho matter. In New Plymouth, for instance, tho average collection was higher than anywhere else, but patients went into the Hospital who would, go. into private hospitals here, lie was convinced .that the officers of the board were doing everything that could bo expected of tliem. The estimates as submitted were adopted, and Mr. Gardener's motion that after March 31, 1914, separate detailed accounts of each department should be kept, and submitted to the board every six months, was referred to the Finance Committee.