HOSPITAL RATING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 May 1942, Page 3

HOSPITAL RATING

OBJECTION TOPRESENT SYSTEM CHARGE ON SOCIAL SECURITY FUND URGED. BOROUGH COUNCIL’S VIEW. The present system of meeting hospital expenditure was the subject of a protest by the Masterton Borough Council last night. Observing that the Wairarapa Hospital Board had advised that the borough’s levy for the year was £4452, an increase of £1257 over last year’s levy, the Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, said that the Finance Committee had decided that a strong protest should be made to the Government, the view being expressed, that the time had come when the whole cost of public hospitals should be a charge upon the Social Security Fund and until that was done the full cost of treatment of sick and wounded service men should be borne by the War Expenses Account. After stating that an additional contribution of 5s per day was payable in respect to the treatment of sick and wounded soldiers in hospital, Mr Jordan said that still* left between 6s to IDs per day to be found by the ratepayers. He maintained that the whole cost should be entirely borne by the Wax 1 Expenses Fund. If the whole of hospital expenditure were borne by the Social Security Fund no one would object to the treatment accorded to the sick and wounded service men. Stating that the matter was one that was causing trouble all over New Zealand, Mr Jordan recalled previous representations that had been made to the Government on the matter, when Mr Nash had personally agreed on principle to the proposal, but had said it could not all be done at once. In connection with the position in the Wairarapa, Mr Jordan said the Anzac Hospital at Featherston was to be used exclusively for soldiers and from the chairman of the Hospital Board’s reported statement, a loss of £2500 was anticipated on it-for the year. Surely, he said, that should be borne by the War Expenses Fund. In regard to the emergency hospital at Masterton, the ratepayers were not being called upon to bear the capital cost of. the building but the board’s budget included £2OOO for furnishing the hospital and a sum was also provided for the maintenance of the hospital. Both those items should be paid for out of the War Expenses Fund. One of the arguments put forward was that if the Government bore the whole of the hospital charge, either from the Consolidated Fund or the Social Security Fund, hospital boards would be abolished, but, said Mi* Jordan, that had not applied in the case of schools, nor did he think the Government would take such action. As to the cost, at the time the proposal was first submitted it would have been little more than another Id or IJd in the Social Security charge, but it would cost moie than that now. Stating that he considered all agreed that something should be done, Councillor H. E. Gardner said the Government should give the matter earnest consideration, though it was a question, he said, whether use of the Social Security Fund was the correct method to adopt. , , . Mr Jordan said the charge should be based on the ability to pay. There were many people in this' country who lived on investments and did not pay a single farthing on hospital rate, whereas the mortgagor on land, who was paying the interest, had to pay. Mr Jordan added that the matter would come before the Prime Minister and Minister of Health before very long. The committee’s recommendation was adopted. _____