CLIPPING HOSPITAL FUNDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1922, Page 4

CLIPPING HOSPITAL FUNDS.

STRONG PROTESTS MADE. LOSS OF LAND AGENTS’ FEES. At yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Hospital Board, the director-general of the Health Department notified by circular that under the* new regulations under the Land Agents Act of last session, hospital boards would no longer be paid any portion of land agents’ fees. After remarking that this was one of the most unfair knocks the board had received, the chairman said these fees had been regarded as a perquisite for securing comforts for the sick and suffering, and last year had amounted to £BO, it being estimated they would this year produce £l3O. Though not a large amount, it was hard to have the funds clipped in this way. If, he said, the Dominion was in such dire distress that it was necessary for the Government to come and take the bread out of the mouths of the unfortunate patients of the hospital, then he could only conclude that the country was on the verge of bankruptcy. He moved that the board protest against the new regulations withdrawing these fees from the Hospital Board, and that all boards be asked to endorse such a resolution, and that members of Parliament ba | requested to give the matter their support.

The motion was seconded by Mr. J. Sutherland, who said it was hard that this cut should be made against the < most deserving cause in the country. Mr. M. O’Brien considered the move was one quite unworthy of the Government. He pointed out that the fees actually came out of the pockets of the ratepayers of the district, and he was emphatic in his protest that the money should not be taken away from the board.

Mr. S. Vickers thought the Government was very unfair in robbing the boards of the amounts. The motion was carried.

“ANOTHER BLOW.” NURSE’S SUBSIDY WITHDRAWN. The Director-General of Health notified that after June 30 no further pay* ment would be made by the Department in respect of subsidy (lately £75 a year) for the work done among the Maoris by the district nurse at Opunake. A petition was received from a number of Rahotu settlers protesting against the withdrawal of the nurse for work at the Native pah. The chairman said the notification was another blow at the board. The nurse did not magnify her work. She had been teaching the Maoris how to keep themselves and their surroundings in a clean sanitary condition. If tha people of the district were asked for v the £7's for this work among the ' natives, who paid no taxes, he did not know what would happen. The settler# were much alarmed at the menace and j had sent a petition to the board urging a protest being made against the withdrawal of the subsidy. Certainly the people would not stand the services of the nurse being dispensed with, though ' he could not conceive how the misfortune could be prevented unless the necessary funds were supplied. Mr. O’Brien considered the board should write a strongly-worded letter to the Minister as to the absolute necessity for a nurse visiting Parihaka, and that Mr. O. Hawken, M.P., should be naked to back up the letter by bringing his influence to bear on the Govern* ment, and he had no doubt that the member would succeed. The chairman said the position wm that the nurse was paid £l5O by thd board, one half of which had been contributed -by the Native Department. Though a second nurse was needed, the pressing feature was the imperative need for the £75 subsidy being continued, for if that was not fortheoMH ing the district would lose the nurM> and that was the fact to be impressed on the Department. After another lengthy statement by Mr. O’Brien, it was decided, on the motion of Mr. Vickers, to forward a strong protest to the Department against the withdrawal of the subsidy .and to enlist the offices of the members for the province in having the subsidy restored.