HOSPITAL LEVY.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 118, 28 January 1926, Page 5

HOSPITAL LEVY.

PAYMENT FOR COLLECTING. A Tauranga Proposal. The clerk to the Tauranga County Council (Mr. A. H. P. Briasco) has submitted an important proposal (foreshadowed in this journal some time ag-o) that local bodies should be paid by hospital boards for the collection of the latter’s levies. The hospital levy against the Tauranga council is £2412, and at the meeting the clerk brought up the matter of a local authority where collecting a special rate for the levy, being entitled toclaim up to 10 per cent for collecting. This would be of greater benefit to local bodies than might at first be supposed. The hospital board’s administration in most instances costs less than local bodies for the reason that the former have no rates to collect (except patients’ fees). Further, it must be considered that although the amount is struck to meet the hospital levy, the hospital board still collects the amount levied whether the county collects it all or not. There is a growing feeling among local bodies that hospital boards should collect their own rates, and that if local bodies are compelled to find these, levies, some compensation should be granted. It is also considered that in some cases hospital boards do not make sufficiently energetic efforts to colable biit unwilling to pay for the treatment received. It is a disgracelect fees from ex-patients who are ful and notorious fact that many people are dishonest and ungrateful enough to evade payment for medical services, tlthough they have money to spend on amusements and luxuries to an inordinate extent.