The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. MONDAY, MAY 10, 1915. HOSPITAL UPKEEP

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 205, 10 May 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

MONDAY, MAY 10, 1915. HOSPITAL UPKEEP

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post “ina Wa.ims.rino News.)

The enormously increased demand made upon, the Taihape Borough by the Wanganui Hospital and Chari!;able Aid Board this year is out of all proportion to any other previous demand. It cannot be said that the hospital rate is steadily going up, for at the Council meeting on Friday it J was too evident that it is verily going up by leaps and bounds. The nature of the increased demand is indeed alarming, and councillors were quite Justified in minuting a resolution to that effect. We cannot say that the huge increase is not needed, but Vo think every detail of income , and expenditure should he placed 1%. the hands of contributing bod-

ies, as they seem to be entitled to know why the upkeep and administration of hospital affairs needs twice the money this year that it did two years ago. This year’s huge assessments may be justifiable by providing for something of an extraordinary character, although capital expenditure last year seems fairly high compared with the nature of the institution and its legitimate income. To realise clearly the magnitude' of this year’s demands w( need only refer to figures given by Cr. Jobliu: Taihapc in 1914 paid £56; this year the demand is for £l3O. The rate has risen from 5/9 in the £IOOO in 1914 to 9/6 in 1916, and if the per capita assessment in the former case was 3/8, it will be a long way on the road to twice that sum under this year’s assessment, such an extraordinary increase surely needs some explanation. When hospitals were supported by voluntary subscription a far closer check was kept on expenditure, and since upkeep and administration have been a matter of statutory compulsion, the need for such a check does not appear to be less. We believe it rests entirely with Hospital Boards whether they issue a statement of accounts of any kind, and it stands to the credit of the Wanganui Board that they have followed the course adopted by some other Boards and have issued a statement showing last year’s income and expenditure, which makes it possible to got a much better nr asp of the figures than when they had to be dug rut; of the Inspector-Gencr-al’s reports. This statement and report furnishes a great deal of useful information, and, perhaps, its most notable failure is no fault of the compiler. The system of levying contributions gives no details as to apportionment; one fund has to provide for hospitals, charitable aid, and old peoples’ home, and in this respect makes the statement difficult of review. For the year 1914 the Board undoubtedly conducted its business in. a careful manner, its expenditure per occupied lied being 7.4 below,the average of similar institutions quoted, which seem to have been very fairly selected, but, it is pointed out, this did not include capital expenditure, whien is by no means an inconsiderable item, being in 1914 some £1,323. In connection with future finance, the report says that few, if any, hospitals in the Dominion have been so fortunate in the way of bequests. Property owned by the three institutions cost about £40,000, practically all bequests. And it goes on to point out that these bequests—property or endowments have enabled the Board to carry on without imposing any special assessment for capital expenditure, consequently contributing bodies have paid about 45 per cent, loss than is collected by other Boards of a similar character, but, unless now be-

quests continue to be made, local bodies must anticipate a substantial increase in future assessments. This notification appears to have come along a year Sale as notice of the. substantial increase came first to band. Neither the report or statement makes it quite clear why endowments of c.rerv kind will not realise suffi-

■v :;t in the future to meet capita] • upm.fkure as it did In the past. B'>'in, vt s an rl donations for 1.914 Wi not total £l5O, while ‘‘rent” from endowments provided upwards of £1,129, or not far short of sufficient for the whole capital expenditure, which, as previously stated, seems to be on the high

side. The amount expended on charitable aid in so large a district is not high, it being £716. and of this sum £461 was for the boarding-out of children. It will

be gratifying to Taihapc people to know that they have received nothing - under this head. Owing to the rapid growing increase in the amounts being annually levied we think the utmost information respecting the administration of hospitals and charitable aid in this district should be availaide for the consideration of all contributing bodies.