HOSPITAL ACTIVITIES.

Shannon News, 29 July 1924, Page 3

HOSPITAL ACTIVITIES.

CHAIRMAN’S ANNUAL REPORT. At each meeting of the Paimerston North Hospital Board, the chairman, Sir James Wilson, presented his annual report which, inter alia, was as follows

’ “Some comment has been made with reference to the amount of the levies by one or two contributory bodies. It was on one occasion stated that this was caused by the extravagance of the management. The hoard desires me to outline our position,-not by way of excuse, for we are satisfied that ail expenditure is scrutinised most closely, and consistent with efficiency, there is no item ’ that can he called extravagance, but by way of explanation as to the woir-k of the hospital. The Hospital Board has to work under an Act and carry out its provisions. The schedule of the Act provides that, according to expenditure and rateable capital value, the subsidy acts on a sliding (scale, so that under the. present scale some boards get 14s, subsidy upon levies and other boards get 265. This, in itself is an injustice because the health of the people should be -a Government matter and cannot he a local one. The Board’s subsidy has been on the lowest scale and our contributors have had to find the balance. For the present year, the subsidy is 15s in the £, and this is an unfair rate when such subsidy is paid upon that portion of the levy which goes to pay interest upon the money the board has had. to borrow when, necessary additions were made. Had we levied the whole sum the department would have paid £ for £, but, because we could not levy the amount required as the local bodies could not have found the money from rates, the department, treats interest expenditure as maintenance and the subsidy is at the rate of 15s. Tim board has on every possible occasion protested against this unfair schedule —especially as to the subsidy on interest money—but without avail. ALTERATION IN ACT WANTED. “The contributory bodies could assist the board by asking the members of Parliament in the hospital district to secure an alteration of the Act which would- materially reduce the call we have to make upon them. Taking tlie figures of the last mental report for the year ending ?lst March, 1923, the Government subsidy was £9542. against the levies £14,855. Quoting from tihe same source, the average cost per occupied bed over the whole Dominion is £184.5, the cost in the Palmerston North Hospital is £lB4, or IDs under the average! Otaki. which is run by the department (and we pay 9s per day for patients), shows an expenditure of £291.1 per bed. -In the column showing the rate of levy per £1 rateable capital value, our levy is 0.114 of a penny; the only other hospital district lower is Ashburton-, which is' 0.110 of a penny. It is well .to point, out also the cost per patient which each contributory body pays, namely, the amount of' the maintenance levy divided by the patients sent, from the district in order that the public may see how the system works:—

uniu), P.uti (Rahui), Welford (Weraroa). Five-eighths: Pohio (Rahui), S. Silberry (Pahui). Half: W. Parata (Paraparaumu). Wing forward: P. Thomas (Rahui). ’Forwards: Hi. Cole (Paraparaumu), P. Foster (Paraparaumu,), Lainpp (Hui Mai), Stewart (Paraparaumu), C. Thompson (Rahui), ;S. Knoka (Otaki), H. Strawbridge (Paraparaumu). B TEAM. ■ Fall back: A. Bevan (Hui Mai). Three-quarters: A. Parker (Rahul), A. Smith (Paraparaumu), T. Gray (Hui Mai). Five-eighths: W. Marino (Rahui), T Parata (Paraparaumu). Half: M. Rickard (Hui Mai). Wing forward: Kilsby (Weraroa). Forwards: N. Bevan (Hui Mai), R/F.van's (Hui Mai), Miles (Hui Mai), R. Bevan (Hui Mai), A. Flutey (Rahui), J. Cooper (Rahui), John (Otaki).

When he was telling a gathering of oom(mercial travellers something about the activities of Auckland, Mr George Baildon, 'the Deputy Mayor, said he hoped they would not be like hie American visitor who was being shown round Auckland by a Maori. When they got to the Municipal Buildings, the American asked how long it took to build. “Three year, I think,” said Hone. “Absurd,” said the Yankee, “why, in the States we could ’run her up in a year at the most.” Then when they got down to the Insurance Company’s tall building in Queen street the American put the same question. Hone didn’t know but -he said he thought “about two year.” Again the American snorted and said six months was all they would allow for the job in the States. Then they got as far as the Post Office “Wal, how long did she take?” said the stranger. By this time Hone had began to size up his guest. Looking up at the building with a puzzled air, Hone said, “by korry, I not know; he not there last night!” When Raleigh Scoured The Spanish Main And scaled the haughty dons of Spain, As best they could his sea-dogs bold Braved tropic heat and Arctic cold. They mustered aft to roll of drum, And soaked their hides with ration rum. But modem “salts” grog now abjure, Preferring Woods’ Peppermint Cure.*

Cost per Local Body. Leyy. Patients. Patient £ £ s. d. Kiwitea ,. 1613 35 46 2 1 Pohangina ..... .. 831 13 6?. 19 6 Oroua ... 1489 138 10 15 11 Manawatu .. 1685 67 25 3 0 Kairanga .. 2265 145 15 12 5 Horowhenna . .. 2491 127 19 12 5 Feeding ... 465 161 2 17 10 Palmerston N. 2468 859 2 17 6 Foxton .......... .. 124 82 1 10 5 Shannon ........ 83 90 18 8 Levin 68 3 16 4 Otaki .. ’ 144 ll 13 3 0 Rongotea 18 .48 . 7 10