“INEQUITABLE RATE”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 July 1938, Page 7

“INEQUITABLE RATE”

CONTRIBUTION TO HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE REPRESENTATION TO GOVERNMENT PROPOSED. VIEWS OF COUNTY COUNCILS. Grave concern at the continued increase in its yearly contribution to the Palmerston North Hospital Board was expressed by the Kairanga County Council in a letter to yesterday’s meeting of the Masterton County Council. The council had come to the conclusion, the letter stated, that the position was so grave that it was imperative that some definite action be taken to bring the matter before the Government. In order to test the opinion held by other rural local authorities in the Palmerston North Hospital area, a conference had been called of representatives of those bodies was held on July 13 when, after consideration had been given to the various methods by which the present system could be altered, the following resolution was carried unanimously: “That this conference of rural local authorities in the Palmerston North Hospital Board district are of the strong opinion that with a view to giving relief to all contributing local authorities to hospitals in the Dominion, the subsidy from the Government should be considerably increased, and that steps be taken to bring the matter before the Government.”

In soliciting the support of all county councils in the Dominion in bringing the request before the Government, the letter stated that it was proposed that a deputation consisting of representatives of all the contributing local bodies in the Dominion should wait on the Government at an early date during the present session. The Masterton County was asked to support the request and appoint a representative on the deputation. The chairman, Mr Gordon Lee, said that as far as counties were concerned hospital rating had been a burning question over a period of years. By the time the next Counties’ Association conference was held the Government s social security proposals would most likely be put through. It would be too late then to protest. There was nothing in the Government’s proposals to indicate that county councils would be relieved of hospital rating. He considered that the Kairanga county’s resolution should be supported for all they were worth.

Councillor W. I. Armstrong said the Government intended to give a free health service to everyone, the service to be paid for from the money collected. He thought that under the proposed scheme the present rating system would be discontinued. Councillor G. Moore: “Have you ever seen any rates or taxes taken off?” Councillor P. R. Welch: “We are still in the dark so far as any relief in hospital rating in concerned.” Councillor H. H. Mawley, who is chairman of the Wairarapa Hospital Board: “There is no doubt but that it is an inequitable rate so far as the Wairarapa is concerned.” Councilloor Armstrong, also a member of the Hospital Board, pointed out that in the Wairarapa the counties contributed 82 per cent of the hospital maintenance costs and the boroughs 18 per cent. It was decided to support the Kairanga resolution and Councillor Mawley was appointed to represent the council on the proposed deputation.