HOSPITAL BOARD LEVY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 213, 28 May 1918, Page 6

HOSPITAL BOARD LEVY

ATTITUDE OF PETONE COUNCIL'S ANSWER TO MINISTER

I'urther reference to the matter of the lovies demanded from local bodies by the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was made at last night's meeting of the Petone Borough Council. The matter arose out of a letter received from the ■Minister of Public Health, in which lie asked the council to specifically enumerate the direction in which it considered thn proposed expenditure of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was excessive

the Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) said the Act did not make it mandatory on a local body to state its reasons for considering the expenditure excessive, lie moved:—"That the expenditure proposed for the year ending March 31, 1919, amounting to the sum of .JE75.465, exclusive of expenditure out of loans (JG1!9,360) is unduly in excess of the expenditure for the year ended March; 31, 1915, which amounted to .651,241, the increase for the period being ,624,231, or 17 1-3 per cent., Otaki expenditure being excluded in each year; that the abnormal increase in salaries and wages from ,£12,103 in 1915 to ft proposed expenditure for tho current year of ,£22,0011 requires greater consideration tnan has been given by the boa*d;_ thai the increase in the number of patients- treated 'jik! tho increase in the number of beds occupied from 311 in 1915 to 361 in 1918 does not warrant the increase in expenditure proposed by tho board; that the cos": per occupied bed in the Wellington Hospital for 1917 (.£lls per bod) is greatly in excess of the cost per bed (iS2) in the Dunedin Hospital, thero being no npparent reason at present disclosed; that as a, result of the excessive expenditure, tho levies of this council have increased from ,£855 in 1915 to .£ISOO for the current year, au increase of 75 per cent." He proposed that the contention raised in his resolution be placed before tho Minister as an answer to his letter. ConnoiUor ,T. Churchouso seconded tho motion; ,£ISOO, he said, seemed a large amount for tho Petone Borough Council to pay. The Hospital Board should have considered.what the effect would be of the Horowhenua County Council seceding from the control of tho Hospital Board.

Councillor E. Tovey thought the proposed discussion of the matter by a conference of local bodies would be of benefit.

'"I don't think you can molte it too warm for tho Government in dealing with this matter," said Councillor W. Cox. Tho .increase in the expenditure of the Hospital Board had been largely due to tho war, but not a sufficient reason for the great increase in tho levy. Mr. M'Ewan said ho opposed the severance of Horowhenua and held that tho proposals of that county could have been met by the establishment of a cottage hospital between Otaki and Palmerston North. Tho Wellington Hospital could not hope to escape the increase in the cost of drugs caused by the war, but it appeared.to him that they wore paying too much for the goods they purchased, or else wero employing too many hands. His own view was that instead of there over being a cottage hospital in the Hutt Valley, there would be a dispensary with qualified officials in chnrs;e to administer to the needs of the district. Of course, the only solution of. the question.'at issuo would be na } lionalisatiou of tho hospitals of the Dominion. "I am glad you are coming Tound to' our way of thinking," remarked Councillor Churchouso. "Oh, I'have long thought that," replied the Mayor. "Well, what can we do if the cost of dying goes up?" asked another councillor amidst laughter. Without further discussion, tho Mayor's motion wns carried. I