BIG HOSPITAL ECONOMIES

Otaki Mail, 14 May 1923, Page 4

BIG HOSPITAL ECONOMIES

PALMERSTON MAINTENANCE i REDUCED BY £3OOO. !

SOME LOCAL BODY LEVIES LESS. -V statement, sent out by the Palluet ston Hospital Board to contributing local bodies shows that substantial economies have been effected in the administration during the year us a result of which the maintenance ex- . pemliture was reduced by £3070 as compared with tlie previous year. The coal bill was lower by £S7(C Provisions cost £350 less, and drugs £SOO less. The estimates provided-for expenditure of £34,653, and the actual amount spent was £31,007. The Horoj whenua County is still the biggest 1 contributing body.

'Elie Ilorowhenua County is called mi this year to pay £2491 maintenance levy as against £2SB2 last year, and £lO5 10s 5d capital lew as against £TO2 )Ss id last year. Levin Borougircouncil pays £259 as

against £179 last year in maintenance, and £lO 19s as against £6 7s last year in capital payment, it will be noted ihat whereas the County levy has been reduced, Levin Borough lias been increased. This is accounted for by the loot that the Borough lias been revalued since last year, and is now paying on a valuation of £545,274. as against £323,123. The County, on the other hand, was re-valued before last year’s levy was struck and paid last year on ihe new valuation.

Palmerston Borough is in the same position as Levin and it* levy goes up fnJm £1703 to £2468. Otaki Borough also pays on a higher valuation. £303,782 instead of £232,,213, the result, being an increase in maintenance from £l2B to £144 and in capital lew from £4 11s lid to £6 2s Gd.

shannon enjoys a reduction from £97 13s 6d to £B3 14s Oil in maintenance. its valuation being £175,765. Tiiis statement was presented to Saturday’s meeting of the Horowbenua County Council.

J The chairman, Cr. Monk, who repro-' semis tiie combined Boroughs on the Board, recalled the movement, initiated by the late Messrs Venn an’d Gardener for the severance of the Horowbenua Comity from ihe Wellington Hospital -Board and joining Palmerston. He came into the agitation - later and was on the Council when it J was successful. If fhe County had {remained under Wellington it. would j now be paying 20/8 per £IOOO of capi- | Ini value, or £5685 per year, instead j nf O f; 3-10 per £IOOO or £2500 as it was , paving to Palmerston to-day.

;• “We have been surned up as an in--6 efficient crowd by certain people," said • ihe chairman, "but I would like Io 1 point out that, we have at least done

! some good in Hie past. Previously. County patients were being treated in T’almersfon and the County was paying a large sum to Wellington. Now we are having Ihe patients treated in Palmerston for for loss than half what we would he paying Wellington. ” The chairman said the Board had a really live secretary in Mr Eraser, another Otago man, who seemed to he coming to (his district. Tie had made a very grind start, Cr. Brondheli. representing the Conntv- on ihe Hospital Board, said Hie figures presented • were plain • nough and hr, felt convinced that, under the managing secretary' they were going to have very much better mnnageinepf e| (ho hospital than in Hie past. The next balance would jhow the position to be even better, ile Iliad always felt that severance from Wellington was the right course Cr. Hnrkness congratulated ihe ■l)airman on the result nf the sever- •• nre, slating that a great, deal of (he credit for tlial was due t „ Mr Monk.