HOSPITAL RATING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 June 1942, Page 2

HOSPITAL RATING

CRITICISM OF PRESENT SYSTEM PROTEST BY WAIRARAPA LOCAL BODIES. TALK OF REFUSING TO LEVY RATE Emphatic opinions that the present system of hospital rating was most unfair and inequitable were voiced by representatives of Wairarapa local bodies at a conference held in Masterton last night. The meeting agreed unanimously that the whole of hospital expenditure should be met out of the Social Security Fund and it' was decided to bring this decision before the notice of the Government. A suggestion was put forward that if no relief were obtained local bodies should refuse to strike a hospital rate. The Mayor of Masterton, Air T. Jordan, presided.

Speaking on behalf of the Pahiatua Borough Council, at whose suggestion the meeting was called, Mr S. J. Judd (deputy-Mayor) said everyone recogriised the position in regard to the present inequitable system of hospital rating. They would soon be collecting everything for the hospital and nothing for the borough. In a period of eight years the hospital rate in Pahiatua Borough had increased by 230 per cent. Mr W. Carthew said local bodies, at the present rate of expenditure, would not be able to meet the increased payments if the latter continued on the scale of the last few years. The War Expenses Account should pay for the hospital treatment of soldiers. He considered that if the Government accepted part responsibility for hospital payments out of the Social Security Fund it should accept full responsibility. Mr T. Jordan outlined what had been done in the matter in the past year or so. He quoted an admission by the Minister of Health (Mr Nordmeyer) that the system was not equitable and that it was a national problem. Representations had been made to the authorities by the Municipal and Counties Associations, asking that rating should be based on ability to pay and not on the possession of property.. The subsidy paid to hospital boards was a most peculiar system and ranged from 14s to 26s in the £. The more economical a board was the less subsidy it received . After referring to thd position of soldier patients, Mr Jordan said it was intended to make joint borough and county representations to the Prime Minister. Personally, said Mr Jordan, he would like to see the whole of hospital expenditure raised by means of the Social Security Act. Voices: “Hear, hear.”

Mr Jordan moved that the meeting considered it was equitable and just that the whole of hospital expenditure should be met by means of the Social Security tax. Mr .E. W. Cheetham spoke in support of the motion. • Mr S. K. Siddells said he considered the public should be macle aware of the fact that the Anzac Hospital had been made a sole charge on the Wairarapa Hospital Board; Mr H. H. Mawley (who is chairman of the board) said if the board came out badly in respect to the Anzac Hospital he had been told that a substantial refund would be made from the War Expenses Account. On behalf of the Castlepoint County Council, Mr F. Bennett supported the motion. The hospital' rate this year amounted to 29.2 per cent of his county’s general rate, if the rate remained the same. On a population basis each inhabitant would pay almost £3 per year. < The motion was carried unanimously and it was decided to send copies of the resolution to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health, and to the three district members of - Parliament. Mr H. Mortensen said the resolution should be taken up by the Municipal and Counties associations and moved accordingly. The motion was carried and Mr Jordan agreed to bring the matter before the associations this week. Mr J. Hutton urged that a definite stand should be taken by local bodies. He asked what would the position be if it had not been remedied by next year. The position was one of long standing. Mr Jordan: “What do you suggest?” “I would suggest that we do the same as the Labour unions are doing today—a sit down strike,” said Mr Hutton. The Government, he added, should be told very plainly exactly what the attitude of the ratepayers was.

Stating that he was present as a county representative and not as chairman of the Wairarapa Hospital Board, Mr Mawley said he fully agreed that the system was all wrong. Delegates were quite emphatic that the issue should be forced to an early decision so that justice could be done to the ratepayers. Mr Jordan was asked to convey this view to the authorities concerned. Mr Jordan said there was.no possible argument against a change in the rating system and he would like to get the Government to give its reason why it could not agree to it. He did not care whether hospital expenditure was met out of the Social Security Fund or the Consolidated Fund, so long as the basis was equitable.