A BIG IMPOST

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 191, 2 May 1918, Page 7

A BIG IMPOST

I HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID LEVY LARGE INCREASE PROPOSED At the Inst special meeting of the AVcllington Hospital and Charftablo Aid Board (ho members discussed a proposed building programme of a rather ■elaborate character to meet certain needs said to lie more or less urgent. It included llio provision of more spacious and better suited accommodation for the X-Kay Department, cither by the erection <!f a new pavilion altogether or by providing new offices for the clerical staff at tho entrance to the grounds, ami adapting.the presont offices for the purposes of an X-liay pavilion, which latter coui'so the members of the board seemed to feel disposed to favour. Most people arc aware that the city, in conjunction with tho Government, has to foot the bill for tho money to keen the General Hospital apd its several adjunctive ciopartments going, so that any proposal having to do with the expenditure of a largo sum of money by the board has to do with every.ratepayer in -Wellington. It will, therefore, interest ratepayers in some degree to learn that the hoard lias already intimated to the City Council it's intention to increase tho levy from MfiJ>72 lu.st. year io .£23,055, an increase in one advance of approximately 39 per cent. To mako it still more, clear to everyone concerned the Hospital and Charitable Aid rate worked out hist year on a population of 73,283 to is. o}d. per head. This year, on a population of 73,305, the rate per head will be Cs. 3-} d. —an 'exceedingly heavy call .to mako at tho present time, when the pressure on everyone is so great owing to the exigencies of the war. His Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) was invited to express his views ou the board's extraordinary financial proposals. Further thr.n to' intimate that (hero had been a conference between the Finance Committors of the two bodies, Mr. Luke said lie e-yuld say nothing. He would, however, be ".mking a general statement about the proposals of tho board at the council meeting this evening.