HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 219, 21 October 1909, Page 4

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BILL.

The Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill, introduced in the House of Representatives by Message, is largely a consolidating measure. There are, however, some important amendments of the existing law proposed. Fo r every hospital district there is to be a hospital and charitable aid board consisting of one or more representatives of each of the contributing districts. It is provided, however, that where it is deemed expedient districts may be combined for the purposes of representation. In regard to elections to boards, it is provided that every elector in the district shall have a vote, and elections will be conducted under the provisions of the Local Elections Act. The cost of the election is said to be borne by the contributory local authority. When the stall of any hospital under the control of a board comprises more than live registered' medical practitioners, the Governor may, on the recommendation of those practitioners, or a majority of them, appoint one of their number a member of the board.

On the establishment of a hospital'and charitable aid board under this Act, the property of dissolved bodies will vest In the new boards, which will take over contracts, debts and liabilities. The newly-formed hospital and charitable aid board will have the control and management of every institution or separate institution which becomes vested in it, every hospital for infectious diseases, and every institution which is established under the authority of the Act or' transferred to the board. Every hospital and charitable aid board is to have the administration of charitable aid within its district.

No appointment of any medical officer, or other than an honorary medical officer, or of a master, manager, or matron of any institution is to be made until the Minister has given his written approval of the proposed appointment. During each financial year, unless the Minister of Finance is satisfied that the board has sufficient funds to carry out its functions, a subsidy will be paid to each board out of the Consolidated Fund on the following scale:—(l) 10s for every £1 of the value of all devices or bequests; (2) 24s for every £1 of voluntary contributions; £1 for every £1 levied by the boards from contributory local authorities; the subsidy not to exceed £SOO iu respect of the state of a single testator. If any local authority fails to pay its contribution the Minister of Finance may deduct the amount from any subsidy payable to it and pay the amount to the Board. It is also provided that if a, contributory local authority is dissatisfied with the hoard's apportionment of expenditure it mav appeal to the Minister, who, if he thinks fit, may appoint a commissioner to enquire into the matter and thereafter deal with it. When in any part of « hospital district there is no contributory local authority, the Valuer-General is to be deemed to be the contributory local authority, but the district will not be represented on the board. The amount required by the board in such a case will be raised by the Valuer-Gen-eral by rates on the capital value of all property in the district.

Power is also given to the hospital and charitable aid board to establish new institutions for the treatment of persons suffering from any disease, charitable institutions of various kinds, maternity homes, convalescent homes, sanatoria for consumptives, institutions for the reception of habitual inebriates, reformatories for vnaien or girls, and so on.