MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 71, 15 July 1914, Page 6

MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

NATIONALISATION OF HOSPITALS {.Per Press Association. ] Wellington, July 15. An interesting discussion on the nationalisation of public hospitals took .place at the Municipal Conference today, when the following remit was submitted by the Petone Council; — "That the present method of levying local bodies for, the upkeep of hospitals and charitable aid be discontinued, and that hospitals, etc., be nationalised, and the whole upkeep be met out of general revenue, the whole treatment to be free of cost'to patients." The Hon. J. Ban- strongly supported the motion, and said he regarded hospitals as purely a national institution. They could have no purely local spher ebecause the bonds of common humanity compelled their doors to be open to all who came. Mr McGrath (Napier) said his experience suggested that if hospitals were nationalised there would be so much red taps that most of the patients would be dead before they could be admitted. Mr Michael (Auckland) also opposed the remit because he did not believe in pauperising the people. The remit was finally rejected by 29 voles tc %z.