The Daily News FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 1905. HOSPITAL DISTRICTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 780, 24 March 1905, Page 2

The Daily News FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 1905. HOSPITAL DISTRICTS.

the inevitable effect of the severanes which have taken place in the TaiMiiaki Hospital and Charitable Aid district was very apparent at the last meeting of the Hoard, when the rate for the current year was struck at lOd in the £loo—an increase of one penny over the rate of last year. It seems somewhat, unfair that a rating district may be reduced time after time, and that the institutions which have been erected to meet the needs, for sonic time uhuad.

of a large arei rapidly increasing in pupulutiun, should have to he supported by the remnant of tho-.original district. However, such is the law nt present, and the only ouestion to be fought out is that of adjustment of accounts. The Taranaki County Council, as one of the largest contributing bodies to the Hospital and Charitable funds, has communicated with the Board, urging that in the furthcoming' adjustment with the new Stratford Hospital Board the injustice of throwing large buildings on o small district should be taken into account. It may readily be assumed thai the old Board, after having c\-pei-ienced the loss of income from the Hawera district, are quite alive to the siliia'lion and will do till in their ,o w ■(• to pitted, the remaining contributing bodies. If this process of severance is continued 'ihere would eventually be left only the New Plymouth' Borough, and probably a small part of the Taranaki and Clifton Counties to boar the whole cost of the upkeep of the Hospital and Home erected for the benefit of the whole district. Hawera has already settled down, and with their smalt hospital as the only institution to support it is not to be wondered at that the rate just struck should be only Td in the £IOO (some of the members even favouring Gd), as against our lOd. We «re always glad to welcome any relief that may fall to the lot of the taxpayer, and in this respect Hawera is fartunate. At the same- time the New Plymouth Hospital is) being used by patients from the southern end of the district, and all tho advantages of a large and exceptionally well managed hospital uro still at the service of those who, not only no longer contribute to (the cost of maintenance, .<but have tho benefit of 3d in the £IOO. The same remarks will apply to Stratford except as to the, rating—a matter that will hereafter sjwak for itself. It is certainly time that a stand should ufe made against the multiplication of small hospital districts, unloss provision is made for compelling seceding bodies to bear a proportion of the cost of the- original institutions. That adequate provision should be made for attending to the sick and injured at various points' in the district is only right, anA proper, but

this can easily i)C arranged without dislmWiig existing conditions. It is to be hoped the Hoard may gel this principle acknowledged when settling the adjustment of finances Willi the now Stratford Hoard.