HOSPITAL LEVY.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1920, Page 4

HOSPITAL LEVY.

The conference of delegates from public bodies in the Taranaki Hospital District on Wednesday served a good purpose. It enabled the position of the Board to be fully explained, and afforded an opportunity for criticising details of administration, as well as removing any misconception that may have arisen in consequence of increasing the levy from one shilling and eight-pence in the £IOO to two shillings and nine-pence, equivalent to raising the contributions from the ratepayers by nearly ■".4000, In comparatively recent years the ratepayers have been called upon to pay very large sums for extraordinary purposes, such as the building and equipping of a new hospital and providing a home for mirses, which is now being replaced by a large concrete building. Then the Old People's Home had to be removed to a near site, land being purchased adjoining for a farm. A new laundry had to be provided, and the influenza epidemic coped with at an expense of £2OOO. The war brought in its train a succession of soldier patients, on each of which the Board lost three shillings and three-pence per day, owing to the Government restricting its payment to five shillings a day. On the top of all these misfortunes is the increased cost of all commodities, and a consequent inflation of the Board's overdraft, the extinction of which is thj main object of the increased levy. Naturally some of the delegates expressed themselves strongly concerning the outstanding fees owing by patients, and incidentally the question of a separate hospital for people of ample means was discussed—a proposal that was not favored, Without doubt there should be no further delay in re-valuing the lands throughout the whole of the Board's district, in order to remove the present inequities. That the Board succeeded in making a g«od case was evidenced by Mr. Connett's remark that "the delegates 1 would go away fully convinced that theBoard was dealing with its difficulties in the oily possible manner." This verdict was consonant with the facts of the case. It is probable that Parliament will deal with the hospital problem at an early date. Meanwhile, the Board may be relied upon to do all that is po;sible to keep expenditure at- the lowest limits, consistent with efficiency and justice t» the patients and the staff, though it is very problematical whether any increase in fees will yield other tlmn an increase in the amount owing by pati'ents.