INCREASING BURDENS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 180, 25 April 1919, Page 6

INCREASING BURDENS

HOSPITAL BOARD ESTIMATES

APPROVED AT YESTERDAY'S MEETING ' , The,, following summary of estimates ; for. the year ending/March 31, 1920, was ' yesterday ' submitted . to the Wellington' Hospital and Charitable Aid Board for approval :— ■ : :;V GROSS EXPENDITURE. Es- Estimate Actual timate *- " 1918-19 1918-191919-20 ' " ' ' ' • ' efi efi «£ Well. Hospital, Char. i.!Aid,..i and Head' Office . : . 79,845 83,014 97,847 Less receipts other than subsidies and levies 20,450 22,089 28,430 ' " M.395 60,925 69,417 ■ HEADS OF. EXPENDITURE. ; Es- Estimate Aotual timate 1918-19 1918-19 1919-20 v J* £ Well, Hospital (ordinary),/, 56,545 57,769 60,475 T. G. ' Macarthy Home 600 •' 691 700 Outside maintenance 900 1,066 1,050 Charitable aid ....... 13,875 15,1)45 27,750 ; Head Office, etc, .... 3,545 3,201 3,440 : Capital expenditure 4,380 4,742 3,560 Liabilities over assets, 31/3/19- " - - 872 79,815 83,014 97,817 HEADS OF RECEIPTS. Es- -Estimate Actual timate \ 1 1918-19 1918-19 1919-20 • £ £ £ Well. Hospital maintenance feesll,ooo 11,683 . 7,000 Out-patients'• and X- ' ray fees 750 770 750 Bacteriological fees 700 930 900 Dental fees , . 400 356 350 Endowment rents ... 3,750 4,078 4,100 Contributions and , - bequests ....' ... 400 318 200 T. G. Macarthy Home 50 30 30 Miscellaneous 700 735 700 Charitable aid 2,200 2,427 13,650 Head Office, etc 500 762 . 750 20,450 22,089 28,430 The apportionment of levies was set ■ oat in tho following table:— Last year. 1918-19 1919-20. Quarterly £ s. d. £ B. 'd. £ s. d.. Wgtn. City 23.065 1 8 8, 28.242 6 8 7,060 11 8 Hutt Cty. 2,150 30 1 2.5H 4 4 63811 1 MakaiaCy. 1,037 17 0 1,208 11 4 302 210 I/. Hutt Bor. 1,540 17 4 1.826 12 8 456 13 2 Petone Bor. 1,500 19 8 1,768 18 4 442 4 7 Miranjar B. 862 5 8 1,037 4 0 259 6 0 Karori Bor. 552 18 8 650 17 8 162 14 5 Onslow Bor. 591 2 4 — . — Eastlj'rne Bor 227 5 4 282 3- 0 70 10 9 J'ville 'P.Bd. 205 9 8 240 12 0 60 3 0 TJ. Hutt T.B. '255 2 8 303 10 0 75 17 6 '' £31980 0 0 38,115 0 0 9,523 15 0

Explanatory. The board's treasurer explained that ' the -receipts for the coming year, were • estimated at'a much reduced figure, because the amount to be received from ".'the Government on account of soldierpatients would very much diminish. The levy on the 'Wellington City Council was above that for the past year, but .£6OO of the additional liability was due to the recent amalgamation of Onslow with the city. The net estimated expenditure for the year was .£69,417, being nr. increase of .£10,022 upon the figures past year. That meant that the Government and the local bodies were between them required to find over .£IO,OOO more than they had contributed during the ; past year. 'The total amounts required were:—From the Government, .£31,302; from local bodies, .£38,115. Owing to • the rate of subsidy being only IGs. 3d. per £1 in the Wellington Hospital district. the burden falling upon'the local " bodies was heavier than that' falling on . the Government.. The oxtra amount of .V ,£10,022 required would be found under the following headings:—For ordinary charitable aid, ,£2205; ■' for Wellington • Hospital, <£2590; for miscellaneous pur- , poses,; .£1590; to make up deficit, :'to .make up'reduced receipts, '£3670. ' These amounts totalled ,£10,927, but from this had to be deducted a sum of ,£925 ■ ("decreases, ' capital, and head office"), leaving the "net increase • standing at .£10.002. j . A Protest. * Mr. J. W. MUwan, Mayor of Petone, protested ' against the increasing charge upon the local authority he represented. ■ ■He moved that the estimates be referred • ■ to. the ' local authorities before receiving . the board's' approval. „M r * ?• T.;Moore-seconded the motion . pro forma. . 'Mr. B. G. H. Burn urged that there were two means by which the charges ijEon the local authorities might be reduced. The first was the payment of a for £ subsidy by the Government, if ' such a subsidy could bo secured. The second means was a more energetic collection of patients' fees. Tan Staveren believed that the estimates must be passed'. They • had not been carelessly framed and - what might be.taken off in one place would simply have to be put on somewhere else'. •n— -: n Lnk ® eaW that he believed, with All'.' Born,'' that a subsidv of £ for £ was the only fair and equitable one. Hon: Mr. Russell himself had ad- " ; ®l'Wcd tliat the IGs. 3d. at present paid : 'by the Government was too small. The amount that had to be written off ari- ; nually on account of those who were U ?i i their fees was undoubtedly large; but hospitals existed primarily ■t° provide for people who could not afford the cost of adequate medical treatment in their own homes, and he did not wish to see any insistence upon payment in cases where it was obvious that the people were not able to pay. r lt was ,no good trying to throw the estimates back, said the chairman (Mr ■v Baldwin), it would not be manly of any member to try to leave the responsibility of approving the estimates to a new board. The present system of collecting fees was the best that had yet been suggested. If anyone could suggest . a better method he should submit it to , the board at its next meeting. "Contingent Estimates." The following contingent' estimates, apportionment sind subsidy, ( designed tc provide against a possible, recurrence of the mlluenza epidemic, were appended Contingent liability, .£20,000; levies' J6lO 06* sul)s "'' r ' Tom Government, The apportionment was mode aa • under:— ; Quarterly, •nr ir 'i. <£ 8. d. . £ a. (i Wellington City .... 7363 16 8 1810 19 £ Hutt County 065 19 8 166 911 Makara, County 315 2 0 78 15 ( lower Hutt Borough 476 5 4 119 1 4 Petone Borough ... 461 5 0 115 6 f Miramar Borough... 270 8 8 67 P '■ Karon Borough .... IG9 14 0 42 8 f Eastbourne Borough 73 11 4 18 7 k Johneonvill© 62 14 8 Iri1 r i f Upper Hutt 79 Z 8 19 15 f ■£9938' 0 0 «£2J-S 110 ( _ The Rev. tt. Van S'taveren urged thai it should be made clear to the local bodies that, while the board had frame<l tho above "contingent estimates," it was opposed to the principle involved, and would' strive witli all its power to gel the Government to foot the bill in the event of a recrudescence of epidemic in fluenza. On tho- motion of Mr. Luke it \va: decided to send a covering letter to the local bodies, explaining the board's atti tiwle. The motion was carried. The estimates were approved withoui amendment.