Hospital Rate Goes up £14,000

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 363, 25 May 1928, Page 8

Hospital Rate Goes up £14,000

CITY COUNCIL ALARMED LEVY TOTALS £53,250 The hands of Auckland Cttv Councillors were raised in anguish last evening when the Auckland Hospital Board sought the coun oil’s acquiescence to a lew £53.250 10s 9d. an increase cf approximately £14,000 over | u . ! year’s hospital levy. j The finance committee of the coun cil is to consider the enormitv I the figure. It was mentioned incident ; ally that patients at the hospital were i sleeping it the corridors on account ; of the limited accommodation a* th. ! institution. i When the board s request was read | Cr. A. J. Entrican moved to have the j increased levy referred for the con Uideration of the finance committee ,and appealed to councillors to join in his protest against the weight of he levy. Cr. L. A. Eady seconded and rei er ated his previous objection to the policy of the unlimited collection of rates by the hospital board. It was giving the board an open cheque to collect as much as it desired from the council. Cr. J. A. C. Allum said while he possessed confidence in the hospital board members, he agreed that the increased levy should be investigated because a levy to pay for capital was taking the council’s duty as a coutributor too far. Cr. S. I. Crookes said a fundamental principle of local-body finance was that loans of this character should not be short-dated. ABNORMAL CONDITIONS Cr. E. J. Phelan asked for a kindly view of hospital board activities and reminded councillors that the board was meeting abnormal conditions. If the State had performed its duty ae city would not be taxed so hears? he added. Cr. M. J. Coyle would not agree to a sacrifice of accommodation at the expense of a light levy. “People are sleeping In the corridors because we have nowhere else to put them,” he said.. “There is no limit to our treatment of sick patients, because there is no limit to sickness. Where would we be if there were an epidemic in the city? “If you cut down your expenditure, you have yourselves to blame!” Cr. Ellen Melville said the fact of the hospital board having an overdraft of £20,000 was an indication that the finances should be investigated. The City Council, too, had passed through a difficult financial period, and it was hardly fair that it should be made responsible for £50,000, part of which was to be used for capital purposes. Cr. G. I. Knjght, a member of the Auckland Hospital Board, referred to the abnormal conditions of distress. “What can we do when young and able-bodied men are coming to us?” he asked. "There is no limit to charitable aid.” Cr. J. Dempsey said the hospital, by being answerable to the ratepayers, did not possess a blank cheque. Cr. J. B. Patterson said last year's levy was £39,000, so that this year's amount was an increase of nearly £14,000, including an extra rate of lid in the £1 in rates. The Mayor (Mr. G. Baildon)' It does not follow. We have extra districts. Cr. Patterson: For all the money we will get from the extra districts, it will mean an increase from 4ia to 6d in the £l. The Mayor: It will not mean thaL The motion was carried. The One Tree Hill Road Board suggested a conference of all contributing bodies to discuss the question of restricting hospital relief to £20,000 a year, additional relief to come from the State. Cr. Entrican will represent the city at the conference.