HOSPITAL LEVIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 May 1939, Page 5

HOSPITAL LEVIES

CONTRIBUTIONS BY COUNTY COUNCILS. POSITION IN THE WAIRARAPA. "The total hospital levy for the current year has been fixed by the Wairarapa Hospital Board at £5,585 as compared with £5,094 10s for the financial year ended March 31, 1939,” Mr J. C. D. Mackley, Masterton County Clerk states in his annual report. “This represents an increase of £490 10s over last year’s levy. Since April 1, 1936, the hospital levy has risen from £3,346 14s to £5,585, an increase of £2.238 6s or 66.8 per cent over a period of 4 years.” In a statement setting out the individual levies of each contributing local authority in the Wairarapa Hospital District for the current year and it is shown that the Masterton council contributes 17.88 per cent of the total district levy of £31,243. The position is summarised as follow: —

Counties: Population, 17,910; per cent, 51.4; capital valuation, £19,088,319; levies, £25,399; per cent, 81.31. Boroughs: Population, 16,940; per cent, 48.6; capital valuation, £4,377,219; levies, £5,844; per cent, 18.6. The population of the county is only 9.9 per cent of the total district population, while its levy to the Hospital Board represents 17.88 per cent of the total district levy. The council supported a proposal, during the year, urging the Government to put hospital finance on a more equitable basis.