NO DIRECT ACTION

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 23, 27 July 1945, Page 6

NO DIRECT ACTION

HOSPITAL RATING

INJUSTICES CONDEMNED

Direct action in the form of refusal to strike rates for hospital charges was rejected by a big majority at the Counties' Association Conference yesterday. Before voting, delegates heard Messrs. R. J. Glasgow (Auckland) and W. J. Thomas (Carterton), representing the Farmers' Union, and Mr. M. E. Lyons, chairman of the finance committee of the Christchurch City Council. In evidence before the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government the Farmers' Union and the county councils Had agreed almost word for word on suggestions as to what should be done, said Mr. Glasgow. The question of whether it was a just or an unjust tax was one oh which they had agreed. For the last 25 years the Farmers' Union had contested the justice of hospital rating. There had been one or two aggravating factors recently. One was social security payments to hospitals and the other was the amendment to the Local Polls Act. The amending of the franchise was "the last straw." Some sections of the union'had done what they thought should be done. The Mangonui council had decided this year and last not to levy the hospital rate. They rather liked the relief they had got and were now better off than before. "I know many of the farmers in the north have deferred the question of striking a hospital rate until this conference has considered it," continued Mr. Glasgow. "Mangonui has so far been "fighting the first round. They're now in the second round and they'll go under unless they get some support from the conference. Could you make up your minds to give them that necessary support? If you do, I'm certain that you'll win." The question of whether such'action was constitutional would have to be considered. But if they were certain that the incidence of hospital rating was unjust or unfair, then almost any action not involving violence was constitutional. Supporting Mr. Glasgow, Mr. Thomas said that . drastic changes had never been made unless someone had drawn attention to things that needed correction. If the growth of hospital charges was to be stopped, the people who pay should be the ones to put the brake on. He felt that counties would not be breaking the law in refusing to strike a levy, but merely protesting against an unjust law. OPPOSED TO DIRECT ACTION. Mr. W, Morrison, president, said that for many years the counties had fought against direct action. He would be loath to see the association adopt it. It was not right to say that in refusing to levy the hospital rate they were law-abiding. "The proper time to register your protest is when you elect your members of Parliament. That won't be long now," said Mr. Morrison. "I'don't think we should put ourselves in the category of the miners and watersiders and so on by taking direct action. I would be loath to see a respectable association like the Farmers' Union taking direct action." Mr. Morrison added that he had been told that Mangonui had been pushed into their present position by the Farmers' Union, and had gained a lot of odiumr In effect, the contribution of local bodies to hospital maintenance was a debt, said Mr. H. F. Toogood (Featherston), also chairman of the Wellington Hospital Board. If local authorities refused to impose hospital levies they were avoiding a legal debt. They would find that, on < default, local authorities would not get money due from the Government and that money would be diverted as required to hospital boards. However, as a county man he felt sympathy with the .views of those local bodies. Other delegates protested against the injustice of levying the hospital rate as at present. „ One said, "Is not direct action today recognised by the powers that be as a constitutional means of getting an injustice corrected?" (Cries of "No!") "It's recognised by the authorities as constitutional, anyway." Mr. Lyons said the municipal and counties associations should join forces, provide some constructive proposal, and say to the Government, "This is a fair tning." Most hospital treatment, particularly of the specialised type, should not be a burden on .the land. To place the whole cost on the Social Security Department would mean drawing from the Consolidated Fund. Mr. Lyons suggested that the combined municipal and counties associations should propose to the Government that it bear 75 per cent, instead of 50 per cent, arid the municipalities and counties 12J per cent, each, based on capital value and population. He gave these examples of now such a plan would work: Amuri County, £2,000,000 capital value, 2400 population, £4400 hospital rate (under proposed scheme, £1650); Malvern, £1,800,000, 3000, £4102 (£1700); Christchurch City, £23,000,000, 104,000; £75,000 (£42,000). Mr. Morrison suggested they should await the Parliamentary Committee's report. Other delegates proposed that hospitalrates should not be struck, but Mr. H. Kitson (Waimairi) said he never thought he would come to a conference of responsible men who would consider such civil disobedience. Only a, few voted for the motion to refuse the levying of the rate, and a motion by Mr. C. V. Kirke (Mackenzie) that in the event of counties not being given considerable relief as a result of the Parliamentary Committee's report, there be an immediate meeting of county council representatives to decide what action should be taken, was carried.