HEAVY HOSPITAL LEVY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 222, 7 June 1918, Page 7

HEAVY HOSPITAL LEVY

CITY COUNCIL'S APPEAL

WELLINGTON'S BURDEN

Tho appeal which the City Council decided to inaJso against the levy imposed this year by the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board has now been drawn up by the City Solicitor (3lr. J. O'Sncu) in accordance with the provisions of tho Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act, I'JO9, and adopted by tbo CiLy- Council. It is addressed to- the Hou. the Minister of Public Health (tho Hou. O. W. Kussell), and its full terms are as follow:—

Tliis memorial of the Arlington City Council humbly ehowoth:— (1) In tho month of April, 191S, the ■Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Bu.ird made an estimate o£ tho amouut oi its expenditure for all purposes during tho iinaucial year ending March 31, 19 it , , and deducted therefrom tho estian.ttcd income of the board during the feiinm year from all sources other than contributions to be levied from contributory local authorities and subsidies ■payslijn out of tho Consolidated i'und in respect of thoso contribution!), t'2) 'J'ho remainder of tho estimated cxliendituro of tho board, after making deduction of vstimated incomo as aforesaid, was (-ifter deducting from such remainder tho estimated amount receivable Irom Consolidated Ifund. by way of subsidy iu respect of contributions, of local auttioritiw) apportioned by tho board amongst the contributory local authorities of the district.

(3) Particulars of such estimated expenditure, income, subsidies, and apportionments were communicated to tho Wellington City Council (one of such contributing local authorities), and the ibu.ird also notified tho said council that 'the amount apportioned would be levied mid payable in four equal instalments payable" on the first days of May, July, October, and on tho fourth day of January in tho sail financial year. (I) The amount of the estimated exlienditiiro is .£109,205. Uf this thero is to be paid out of loan Moneys J3'J,3(iO. After . allowing for estimated income itiml Government subsidy, the amount apportioned amongst tho contributory local authorities is .£31,980. Of this sum there has been apportioned to the Wellington City Council the sum of X 23.055 18s. Bd. (5) The Wellington, City Council considered that the. estimated expenditure of the board was excessive, and as an expression of its-dissent on May 2, 1918, passed a resolution of which tho following is a copy: "That the council lodge an appeal against the levy made by the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid 'Board, on tho ground that tho same is excessive. , ' . . (G) In pursuance of the provisions ot the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act, 1909, in that behalf the said council' hereby sends to the Minister the following reasons for dissent:—(l) That thero has been a continuous increase in ■ the levies niaue by the said board upon the said council during the past live years, namely, from 1914 to 1918. There nas been an increase each year. In the year 19U the levy was £13,027. In tho year 1918 tho levy is £23,055. (2) The position in which tho said board finds itself is largely duo to tho fact that it' has absolutely failed in its duty to collect outstanding accounts, especially accounts due by patients. The item sundry debtors on March 31, 1917, was approximately in excess of the 6aine item for tho preceding year. (3) The Wellington Hospital is, owing to Wellington's pre-eminence as a seaport, and owing to tho central position of the city, and tho large floating population always present, more a Dominion that a city hospital. (1) The 'scope of the functions and business of tho Hospital has been enlarged to such an extent that the maintenance and upkeep of tho samo cannot be reasonably met by the contributory local authorities. (5) The charges for maintenance and education of defective and indigent children should be a charge upon the Dominion and notupon local authorities. (6) The basis of the. subsidy and the methods calculation are inequitable and unfair for two reasons :-(a) The factor of capital value bears unduly on the City of Wellington, (b) The factor set out in the fourth schedule to the abovermentioned Act is most inequitable and illogical. These two factors combined bring about this result: That the more heavily a community taxes itself the lower is its subsidy. (7) The Wellington City Council is of opinion that tho present method of election of tho members of the board is unsatisfactory. The body that levies the money is not required to collect the taxes; nor is that body directly or indirectly responsible to the body that has to collect the taxos. The result is that, so far as the Wellington City Council is .concerned, its ability to carry out its municipal functions -with due consideration of its financial position is limited to whatever extent the board chooses to draw npon the financial reeources of the council.

The Wellington City Council is, tkre'fore, of opinion that the members of tho board should 'be directly elected by the various contributory local authorities, and that the old system of collegiate election should be restored.' If such, ■were the case, members elected by each (contributory authority would be responFiblo to and subject to tho criticism of the members of tho electing contributory

local authority. This was found lo be a valuable aid to economy when the old system was iu force. Your memorialists therefore humbly pray tlmt tho Hon. the Minister will sec fit to Tcdiics tlin amount to bi> apportioned ainonsst. tli« various contributory local authorities, at least to tho amount levied during the last precrding ycar.-(Sgd.) John V. Luko, Mayor; A. E. Atkinson, councillor; John K. Palmer, Town Clerk.