HOSPITAL LEVIES.

Shannon News, 17 May 1927, Page 2

HOSPITAL LEVIES.

HOROWHENUA LIABILITY. A SATISFACTORY POSITION. A statement showing this year’s estimates, together with the levies on the various local bodies, was receive d by the Horowhenua County 'Council, on Saturday, from the Pa’lmerstoh Norli; Hc-spitai Board.' This year’s proposals by .the Board embody the; carrying-on of the bunding scheme commenced last year, and include the erection of the r.iaternm home. Tsie latter is being financed by dhe Maternity Home Fund, the Government subsidy,, thereon, and £llOO to he drawn from, the Board’s present loan With regard to the capital levy, local bodies were assured last year, that, this, would not exceed £3BOO during the period of the present loan. The Board has now advised that it is necessary thu year to levy only £2729 13s 3d for capital purposes, pie increase on last year’s lew being only £2S. It wa.s stated 1 further, in the Board’s communication, that the increase in the 'maintenance expenditure of the hospital is essential owing to K increasing numbers, and owing to the fact that, .luring the closing months of this, financial year, the maternity liome will be opened. An increase” has also been estimated in charitable aid expenditure. Other increase:, in expenditure include interest on loans, and the Board’s contributions to super-' 'animation.'. The maintenance levywwiii be increased from £16,733 to £17.600 — an:increase of £837. It has been decided that, in acdvda-nce with section 50 .-.ub-section 2 of the Hospitals Act, 1.026. the levy 3ha.1l- be.-payable by four equal instalments on the last day of Ala;.. August, November, and February, respectively. The valuations and levies oh the Horowhenua County for the current year and for 1926-27 are as uncL . ' 1927-28. , 1926-27. Valuation ..... £5,207,812 £5,155,530 Maintenance

levies \... £2983/17/7 £2903/2/1 Capital levies £462/15/7 £468/13/8

It. was pointed out. in the covering letter that in practically the whole, of the country,.districts there was only very small increase in the -maintenance levy, owing .to the fact that the valuations had been increased very little, ami 'n some cases reductions had been made. Against this, in the Feilding Borough Lhere had been a large increase in the valuations, and there was a . considenable increase in the Palnieiston North Borough valuations, resulting in increased contributions from those boroughs. Upon the communication being received the County Chairman (Cr. G. A. Monkl stated that when the Council was in committee'Cr. Catley had saic —and'the speaker sumiorted him—; hat they felt, as ,members ’of the Hospita” Board, that their experience of the . institution was that-it was fairly well managed. There were figures to endorse this, showing that the maintenance, and ether expenses, were among the lowest among such institutions in the Dominion. This was a growing district, and the demand for hospital aceommodation was .increasing. Large capital oxpo.u -ditire’must be followed by increased maintenance cost. They must expect: next year that the maintenance cost would go up. It lrad gone up.this year, but was counter-balanced by the boroughs of Feilding and Palmerston increasing in capital value. Personally he was a borough representative, but /he was of opinion that too much of the load was being carried by the country, districts, as compared with the amount of advantage.which they had from tin hospital; but this rise in the valuation,-, of town .areas, Avliere most of the patients came from, balanced it a little. An increase in hospital accommodation next year meant more nurses, which again meant added maintenance. In addition, tenders were being called for the establishment of a maternity home. The capital cost to the Board would bo £llOO, the balance being found by pub lie subscription in Pali'ierston, (for which the people were to be heartily commended) and by Govt subsidy. One of the ideas for the maternity hospital was that it would eventually train nurses to be sent out to cases in variou>parts of the district. This was to be commended as an advantage to expectant mothers in outlying places.

Cr. Catley said tliat the Board’s statement was a proof that the hospital was economically administered, as such ii:ftitu'tions went. The cost of adminis--1 ration was four per cent, less than that of nine leading hospitals in New Ze:« • land. The Palmerston hospital had capital managing secretary, who had everything at his fingers ’ ends. Another point was that the average cos! cf the institution to the ratepayers was only. Is ■ lid a head for the year—and inis was remarkably low. Some critics said that the institution must be starring the patients; but. during the time he had been on the Board there had been no complaints from them in regard to food —and if they were satisfied, it was sufficient evidence-that they were being well fed. The cost of administering the Wellington hospital had increased 40 per 1 cent, this year, while the increased cost of the Palmerston institution was only £73 over last year.

The chairman: I think it. was at i public meeting in Levin that one os the citizens made the remark that we were fast approaching the dimension:-; of Wellington as far as expenditure wn > concerned. Whilst we are paying ;ju-: a little over £3OOO this' year toward, rhe Palmerston Hospital Board, had we remained in the Wellington area and had the capital value of this distm-t been included with the Wellington valuep, and the assessment made accordingly, the cost to this district would have been .just on £7000: so any comment that we are approaching in any way what, lias been done in Wellington, is, wrong. Wellington is a seaport town and has to deal with a terrific floating population from which it does not get a penny. It emphasises the fact that these metropolitan boards should have more support, than they get from the Government.

Or. Catley added that the Palmerston Board was also very fortunate in having an institution like the farm, which showed a profit of £S2G for the year. The Board’s statement was received.