The Hutt News THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1928. HOSPITAL LEVY

Hutt News, Volume 1, Issue 8, 12 July 1928, Page 4

The Hutt News THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1928. HOSPITAL LEVY

From every part of the country which, is included within Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid District, there is a cry out against the ever mounting cost to the ratepayers of the running of that institution and system. Most local bodies make their protest—pass the amount on to their ratepayers who, willy-nilly have to pay it —and there, until another year's demand comes along, the matter dies down. Quite a strong protest was voiced by the Mayor of Masterton who quoted figures to support —indeed prove—his statement that the cost to the ratepayers of that town had, during the past few years increased by 500 per cent within the borough and 300 per cent within Masterton County Council area. The figures' for n the Borough were in 19*25, £320 and for 1928-29 no less a sum than £1629. To come nearer home, let us quote the' figures for Petone and Lower Hutt. For the current year Petone is called upon to pay, in round figures, £3565 and Lower Hutt £4365 or a total for the two towns of nearly £8000, a very large amount when we realise that the population Of the two boroughs is in the proximity of twenty-one thousand. Our nearest neighbour to the north, the Upper Hutt Borough, is this year called upon-to find just on a thousand pounds!* At the moment of writing we have not the figures for Hutt County, so cannot arrive at an accurate estimate of the amount paid by that portion of the county which is within the Hutt Valley. If there were indications that a limit had been placed upon this charitable aid expenditure and that from next year our ratepayers could look forward with safety to a reduction, all would still be well. But no such hope can be entertained so it is the duty of our various councils to See what can be done toward lightening such a weight of taxation. A suggestion has been made that the method ©f electing representatives to the Hospital Board is wrong in that it does not give, direct representation to the local bodies who are directly responsible for the annual payment of the amount called for. It is felt by many that our representatives are not in touch with borough, or county finances and therefore not in a position to know how these growing annual charges are pressing unduly upon the ratepayers. A move toward this end has been made by Palmerston North Borough Counucil and that body is seeking the co-operation of all other interested local bodies with the object of making strong representations to the Government in the hope of having such ..direct representation given, on the Board, to local bodies. This may do some good, but is it not necessary to go much further if our people are really desirous of finding relief from .such heavy levies. ? "Would investigation by a competent commission—if such were set up—lead us to believe that there was alack of economy in the business methods of the Hospital Board 1 Are these members of opinion that no matter how the costs mount up, theiT Board has merely to send the costs on to the local bodies who have no option but to pay these costs. Can the Board

be charged with extravagance in other directions —say for instance, in its building scheme or for extensions to ai-i-eady existing buildings. Not for one moment do we think such charges can be truthfully brought against the Board which is constituted of levelheaded, keen and far-seeing men and women. This admission then compels us to believe that there is something lacking in the system. It would be helpful and interesting to ->know which phrase of the Board's activities the hospital side or the charitable aid side shows the greater ratio of increased expenditure during the past decade. Many there are who profess to believe that our best course of action is the establishment of a hospital in the Valley, to be supported by "Upper Hutt, Hutt County ridings that are within the Valey confines, Lower Hutt, Petone, and possibly Eastbourne. A site known as the Hospital Reserve exists, so that no capital outlay on land would be necessary and a building to suit Valley requirements would surely not cost more than, say, ten thousand pounds, on which interest and sinking fund would not amount to quite six hundred and fifty pounds. Given that equipment were to cost another five thousand (this of course would include furnishing a hospital) the total annual interest and. sinking fund on the required fifteen thousand would be but one thous; and or one-ninth of the amount the Valley this year contributed to the Hospital Board. Some three years ago our Borough Council took this matter up so must have been of opinion that such an institution was required and, if the need existed then, how much more is it necessary now in the light of large increase in population and the increase in industries where a large number of people are working under conditions that make the risk of accident always possible. Our object in this article is to point out the financial burden our readers, in common with others, are carrying and a possible solution of the problem.