THE PELORUS GUARDIAN, AND MINERS' ADVOCATE TUESDAY, 2nd APRIL, 1907. Hospital Expenditure.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 8, Issue 27, 2 April 1907, Page 4

THE PELORUS GUARDIAN, AND MINERS' ADVOCATE TUESDAY, 2nd APRIL, 1907. Hospital Expenditure.

The increased hospital and charitable aid levies on local bodies were resented by tbe Eastbourne (Wellington) Borough Council at a recent meeting. Dr Mackenzie considered the £18,500 required for the Wellington Hospital was an excessive amount, and he attributed the excess to the system of extending treatment to many patients who could well afford to pay for private treatment. The hospital, he held, should be reserved more exclusively for the poor. The Chairman : " There's too much out-door treatment." The Clerk said the levy upon Eastbourne was £95 for the hospitals and £26 2s 8d for charitable aid. The Chairman: "A tenth of our whole income is to be absorbed just for the Hospital Board to squander." Dr Mackenzie moved " That the Secretary write to the other local bodies suggesting a conference." The Chairman : " I don't know that we can do anything if we get a conference. The Board seem to have full power to make us pay." Dr Mackenzie: "We could make representations to Parliament." The Chairman : " I'll guarantee if we fiva got together, we could cut the Board's expenses down by a couple of thousand at least. Their estimate is £BOOO higher than last year." The motion was carried. Local bodies all over the colony are beginning to chafe under the extraordinary demands on their revenue made by Hospital Boards. The ratepayers are probably paying a great deal more for the " style" maintained at these institutions than for real necessities. The day is coming when the State must take a hand in the supervision of these matters from the right standpoint. At present the supervision is apparent, only. The real overseeing is conducted by the doctors, who, having certain traditions to maintain, cannot be expected to appreciate the mere layman's point of view when it comes to the expenditure of rates needed for roads and bridges.