HOSPITAL CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 January 1917, Page 7

HOSPITAL CONFERENCE.

STATE, CONTROL FORESHADOWED. At the meeting of the Tavanaki Hospital Board yesterday the chairman (Mr. F. C. Bcllringer) submitted a lengthy verbal report of the proceedings of the Hospitals Conference recently held in Wellington. "The whole proceedings «. the Hospitals Conference impressed me witji the idea that before verv long the hospitals of the Dominion will be under StaV control," said Mr. Bellringer. "Tire Minister for Hospitals was very strong on the question of the collection of maim tenanee fees, and warmly criticised the lax of methods of some of the Boards in this connection. The Boards were pretty well bound by regulations at present," added the chairman, "and if the system adopted by some boards : n conduction their business is n criterion then the sooner the State took control the better." The chairman added that there was no doubt the members of thft Taranaki Board took a great deal more ir.terest in the affairs of their hospital than the members of a good many other boards he knew of. It was recognised at the conference, said Mr. Bellringer, that in the matter of buying the New Plymouth Board was far ahead of most other boards, and was able to secure its material at a much greater advantage,