HOSPITAL LEVIES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 141, 15 May 1940, Page 9

HOSPITAL LEVIES

MANAWATU COUNTY. INCREASE CRITICISED. While all other contributory local bodies had had their levies for the Palmerston North Hospital reduced, the Manawatu County Council’s apportionment, due to the increase in the recent revaluation, had risen by £B6O, said the county clerk (Mr A. K. Drew) at the monthly meeting of the council yesterday. The Hospital Board forwarded a copy of the estimates for the current year, this showing the contribution to come from the county ratepayers as £6451 7s Cd—£B6o more than last year’s. Cr. It. A. Wilson expressed surprise at the rise in the levy for the county. Mr Drew said the reduction in the aggregate of the hospital levy on all local bodies had been 2.6 per cent. Other boards’ reductions were: Wanganui Hospital Board, 9 per cent.; Wellington Hospital Board, 18 per cent.; Waikato Hospital Board, 27 per cent. “On those lines, it appears that the Palmerston North Hospital Board has a lot to spend money on,” said the chairman (Cr. W. E. Barber). The clerk explained that the position arose through the revaluation of the county and the absorption of the Ro.ngotea Town Board. The valuation had risen bv £712,000, whereas the revaluation of Palmerston North was but £260,000 higher. Cr. J. Boyce (the council’s representative on the Hospital Board) said that one of the big problems of expenditure Avas the cost of new buildings, and the board, through eliminating building during the depression period had got behind in its requirements. The Hospital was now continually overcrowded.

The chairman asked why the cost was so high, and Cr. Boyce replied that all the plans had to be approved bv the Health Department. Personally, he did not see how the expenditure could be reduced, but the county councils could not go on carrying the burden they were doing, indefinitely. Tf the Manawatu county valuations had remained the same this years levy would have been less than last year’s. That did not matter, said the chairman, because some other contributory local bodies would have had to carry an increased burden. He thought the Hospital Board was getting into a difficulty. . . . The letter was .received, the chairman saying that all the council could do was to receive the estimates, pass on the demand to the ratepayers and pay the board.