Too Expensive.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 April 1913, Page 2

Too Expensive.

New Zealand's Hospital Levies, AND WELLINGTON'S I'ARTIUULAKLY. A special meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board in connection with the appointment of the annual levies to the different local bodies in the district was held last week, and Mr Gardener made it the occasion to point out the unfairness of the present system of striking levies on various districts, and armed with supporting statistics, was severely critical in connection with what he termed the unfairness of the present system of levies. In the beginning he pointed out the manner in which the hospital expenditure had increased, and stated that the total Hospital and Charitable Aid expenses for New ealand in 1891 was L' 177,000, or us 2}d per head of the population; and from that time till 1809 the increase was not move than C 20.000. or 5s Id per head. Hut. inco 1900. the expenses had increased from £185,000 to about £'550.000 it the end of March. 1913. or ncar'v 10s per head of the population : o 'that it could be seen that the total increase in thirteen years had been about £3(55,000. He considered it most extraordinary that although in about 1000 the old age pensions had started, and since which time some £3.50(5.000 had 'teen paid in this form, the hospital expenses from this time stated had ncreased by leaps and bounds, Avhen >ne would in common sense expect a I Vcroase. considering that some 17.-

'W pensioners wore receiving as:istanec in this form, ami onlv last

•ear no loss a mm than £-116,000 vas paid in those pensions—saying •lothing of the widow fund—and he •onsidered the matter required serins investigation.

"AX ABSOLUTELY KOTTEX

SYSTEM."

The speaker proceeded to criicise the "unfair system on which he levies were made." "The syseni is absolutely rotten to the very core." he declared.

The .chairman interpolated that Mr G.ardener T s remarks wore hard'v relevant.

Mr Gardener suhmittod to the contrary. Tt was. ho contended, in opportune time to show the rot'enness of the levy system, and its in fairness to different districts. This '"o mantaiued was the proper time Mid place to bring the matter up. •s the board was considering levies. »nd he wanted to enter his emphatic irotest against a system that was 'til'air and so unjust to this d:srict. He proceeded (ben to make •omparisons, and emoted figures io how how unfair the system was. "Jo said that four boroughs with population ali-ont the same as Levin's •>aid altogether £162 15s fld. the 'otal population of these towns he'ng 5817—0r ahout fijd per head, nd their total' valuation was ahout <:750,000. Then take Levin: their mpulation was ahout 1600, and thei) valuation was 268.000, and their 'evy €200. or about 2s Gd per head I" the population of the borough. The four boroughs quoted \vere sitlated not many miles from Levin. Te then proceeded to quote from •ouuties whose total population was 0,500. Their valuations were £11.'100.000, and they paid a total of C 2,000 in levies, or about 2s 5d per ! iead of their population. Against - lu'fi, in tho Horowhenua County and •lorough, tho population was 7,672 and the valuations £2.750,000. and the amount paid in levies was £2100 or ahout 5s 6d per head of the population. Take again. Fcilding, with a population of 3101, and with a valuation of £950.000; they only paid about Is per head; Hawora paid only 9d per head of their population. He thought he liad said enough to prove the rottenness of the present system. Where one portion had to pay 5s Od and another only paid about 6d, jt was unfair and unjust—and he trusted that some alteration would he made; so that the whole of the population would he placed on tho same basis.