HOSPITAL LEVY.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 January 1922, Page 6

HOSPITAL LEVY.

PROPOSED ALTERATION IN THE BASIS. COUNTIES AND BOROUGHS. The question of the collection of the hospital levy was briefly discussed at the meeting of the Egmont County Council yesterday, when a copy of a resolution passed at a meeting of delegates of North Canterbury County Councils was received, recording firm disapproval of calculating the hospital levy on capital values only, and holding that the levy should be assessed on both population and capital value. It was suggested that one-third of the levy should be charged to population and the balance to capital value. This, it was considered, would somewhat relieve the burden on counties, as it would reduce their levy to some extent, and would increase the levy on boroughs, which contained most of the population and were the chief users of the hospital. The cost to the country per patient was greater—often ridiculously greater—-than the cost to the borough per patient. The latter also had facilities, ready at hand and inexpensive, for getting to the hospital, while the country patient had the expense of mileage, often considerable, in connection with the doctor’s wisit and with conveyance to the hospital, while relatives and friends had the expense of travelling to town.

The chairman considered that this would relieve county ratepayers. He instanced the case of New Plymouth and Hawera. As representative of the Hospital Board, he would like to hear the opinion of Cr. O’Brien. Or. O’Brien said that the subject was a wider one than he was prepared to deal with. Now that they had al hospital in their own district, he thought a*. be to alter the basis

at present. He understood the Inglewood representatives on the Hospital Board were suggesting an adjiLstment of the contributions, but he did not think tho board would agree to that. Cr. Green thought that it was only fair that the levy should be on a population basis.

Members generally agreed that some endeavor should be made to put counties on a more equitable basis companij with boroughs than they were at pre» ent. No action was taken.