Untitled

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3197, 25 May 1909, Page 4

We notice a contemporary remarks that "the Hospital Boards of the Dominion have lost many thousands of the ratepayers' money by their downright carelessness in neglecting to send oat accounts for fees." There i 3 much truth in" the statement. There is every desire on the part of the public, as a whole, that the patients shall receive the best medical skill, the greatest care in nursing, and that nothing shall be lacking to alleviate their suffering, and to assist them back to full bodily health, if that be possible, and towards such an end the Government grants considerable sums, legislation provides for heavy levies being made on local bodies, while large sums are raised by way of private subscription. But the very ease with which Trustees are able to lay their hands upon large sums of money, seems to account, to some extent, for their negligence and extravagance. Free hospitals would be very nice, indeed, from a certain point of view, but there is realiy no more reason why the"public, as a whole, should not pay for attention when sick than that they should receive boots, clothes, bread and butter or any other necessary for nothing. As it is, however, a great deal of the hospital treatment is, practically, free, and the fees charged merely nominal, and this is certainly a satisfactory feature of our hospital system when we con sider the relief that it means to many cpatained in the ranks of the poorer classes of the community. Every good movement can, however, be carried too far, and a point which appears to be continually escaping the observations of the hardest toilers, and the poorest paid, is that extravagant administration (allegedly justified on the ground of sympathy), and many of the "liberal" measures from which we suffer, only tend to increase the

burden of the honest toiler who manfully pays his way and fights bravely with real hardship. It should always be remembered that extravagant administration, either on the part of the Government, or of local bodies generally, affects most severely those who are least able to stand it.