PALMERSTON HOSPITAL.

Shannon News, 12 April 1927, Page 4

PALMERSTON HOSPITAL.

LOCAL BODY LEVIES INCREASED. TO MEET HEAVIER MAINTENANCE. The Palmcrston North Hospital Board met on Monday to consider the estimates for the coming year. These were presented in elaborate detail by the managing-secretary (Mr, A. J. Phillipps) as follows: Maintenance Receipts. Cash in hand, £129 12s: "We are fortunate in being able to end the year this year with a small balance of cash in hand on our maintenance account," stated the secretary. "We commenced the year with an overdraft of £378 os lOd and an amount owing to capital account of £849 18s Bd. Both these debts have been paid and despite the fact that the past year has been a bad one for the collection of patients' fees, we have been able, to end the year with a credit balance. At the same time I would point out that no maintenance accounts apart from the usual monthly sundry creditors have been carried forward to the next financial-year. Maintenance levies outstanding: Outstanding last year, £37 9s lOd; actual receipts, £37 9s l&d; outstanding this year, £42 9s 3d. .

This item should not occur in the Board's estimates. The levy that was outstanding- last year was due from the Otaki Borough Council and the levy which is outstanding this year is due from the same body. In the meantime the Otaki Borough Council is being charged interest at the rate of 7 per cent, on this amount. Subsidy on levies outstanding from previous years: Estimate last year, £26 4s lOd; actual receipts, £26 4s lOd; proposed estimate, £202 0s 7d. £202 outstanding this year is accounted for oy a claim unpaid at March 31st and die subsidy on the Otaki Borough Council's, levy. Voluntary contributions: Estimate last year, £300; actual receipts, £596 15s 6d; proposed estimate, £3OO. These receipts include donations from district nursing .committees, and that porMiscellaneous payments: Estimate North; New Zealand Loan and Mercanpurposes. This year it is anticipated chat liny Hospital Day proceeds will •be devoted to capital purposes—namely, finishing the Maternity Home. ( A £ for £ subsidy on the estimated amount of voluntary contributions would bring in another £300.' Patients' fees: Estimate last year £9000; actual receipts, £7255 17s sd; proposed estimate, £7250. "It will be remembered," added Mr. Phillipps, "that last year the estimate of patients' fees was increased by £2500 over the estimate for the previous year; i.e., from £6500 to £9OOO. This was done in anticipation that last year would have been a good year as regards' fees collection. It could not be foreseen that the winter was going to be such, a severe one as regards unemployment, and I am quite sure that it was more difficult to collect last year than it has been at any time during the past three years. Extra assistance in the office was engaged at the beginning of the year to endeavour to increase the fees collection. Despite the fact that a great deal more work was done our fees collection are practically the same as they were the previous year. Of course, during the past year there were practically no collections in respect of the Otaki Hospital, as we ceased- guaranteeing the fees of patients in the Otaki Hos j pital at the end of the previous year. The year was apparently a very bad one for farmers and I am sure that we would have had a very bad year indeed, probably not getting £6OOO, if we had not commenced issuing summonses from the office last October. In view of the fact that the financial condition generally is likely to be worse this winter than it was last winter, it seems to be unwise to estimate patients' fees at more than last year's collection." :' Charitable and recoveries: Estimate last year, £1400; actual receipts, £1792 14s 9d; /proposed estimate, £1750. This, item consists largely of pensions in respect of Old People's Home inmates. Rent, interest and dividends: Estimate for 1927-28, £SOO. This amount is for interest on loan moneys deposit; Mangahao Medical Association: Estimate las.t year, £600; actual receipts, £552; -proposed estimate, £sso^ Farm receipts and miscellaneous: Es;imatc last year, £25,0; actual receipts, £376 0s Id; proposed estimate, farm receipts, £250; miscellaneous, £IOO. Farm receipts consist chiefly of the proceeds from the sale of pigs. Maintenance levy: Levy last year, £16,733 ISs 6d; proposed levy, ,£17,600 3s 6d. "It will be seen that it will be necessary this year to increase the levy by £866," stated the secretary. "This is chiefly due to the fact that the subsidy rate this year drops from 15s 9d to 15s 3d in the £. Of course, this year we have been forced to estimate increases in expenditure in the following directions: —Hospital maintenance, charitable aid, interest on loans, to provide interest on the new loan, Board's contribution to National Provident Fund to provide for staff superannuation." Maintenance subsidy: Subsidy last year, £13,207 9s 2d; proposed subsidy, £13,470 2s 2d. There is a slight increase in the subsidy, but this does not increase in proportion to the increase in levy. The chief reason for this is that the Board is not increasing its expenditure as fast as the majority of Boards are doing. . Maintenance Payments. Hospital ma;inte»mnee: "Estimate last year. £23,500; actual payments, £24,000. It will be noted that the estimate framed last year has worked out satisfactorily. Charitable Aid. Awapuni Home: Estimate last year/ £2000; actual payments, £2002 3s 2d; proposed estimate, £2IOO. There will be no especially heavy expenditure in connection* with the Home during the coming year. ,' • Outdoor: Estimate last year, £2600;