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Hospital Finances DIFFICULTIES CONFRONTING COMMITTEES. Indications that hospital finance witas causiing concern all over the State was strongly stressed tli tile various spea kers at the pleasant Sunday After noon at the port Fairy Hospital. 'rile chailrman of the Hospital com niittee (Mir. It. Stephen) introduced tile mnayor (Cr. 1. i. Woods) and asked Inl nto preside at the gathering. The mayor at the outset thanked 1Mr.. T. H. Scholfleld, M.P., and Mr. 1. 1i. Lond, M.L.A. for honoring them with their preselnce, no doubt at cer tlln inconvenience, He tllanied all those who were pres0nt at the effort to hell) the hospital, and the local band for so generously assinting with the inusical part of the programme. The mlatron and staff had spared no pains to set out a dainty afternoon tea, which lie was sure they would all applreciate. With regard to the hos pital, the financial position was caus ing thile comminttee a great deal of con cern and tills had been greatly accen tuated by the recent award for the nursing staff. Nursing had been a sweated profession, but with the new, award better wages and hours had been provided for and he felt that no one would begrudlge nurses such con didtions to which they were justly entitled. Hiowever, the fact remained that the institution was involved in increased financalul responsibilities, and in' the case of the Port Fairy HIonplitnl the sum of £33 a week was required for salaries atlone. The post tion was that the income was de creasing andl the expenditure increoas ing. No- doubt a similar positlpn existed with Ia great many other in stitutions. while there was a certain aalnount of voluntary effort done on b ehal ofof hospitals, he felt that hos pital finances would continue to be a source of worry to committees until the. (overnment took over control, or perhaps a State Lottery was intro duced. (Laughter). Mr. T. H. Schollield, M.P. in alp pcallilg for finances for the hospital, saitd it was absolutely necessary that such Institutions continue with their line work. Hlverywhere lie went in the W\lannon Hlectorate the position was tile satome-they were all in need of tinanelal assistance While there was ia good voluntary work carried on he felt that even lore could be done. There were muny who could and ought to du nmore. The work of has Iitals had conunenced more than four thlousnand years aLgo, and right down through the ages this splendid work had been going on. If admitted that tle prolleln of financing hlositals was a. dillliult one. but he had a perfectly open mind on thie matter. His attitude to the lottery was that it should be either cut out in those States where it was at present conducted, or that It he universally adopted. His reason for tils vconclu.ioen was that thous lands of people in Victoria sent for tickets In consultations in Tasmania, New South Wales and Queensland, aInil lby so dlolng helped charities out sidle Victoria, and perhaps never even contributed one penlny towards the upkeep of institutions here. On the other hand, however. perhaps a.direct tax would lind favour with many.Tihe recent award had greatly increased the filnancial burdens of hospitals. He agreed with the mayor that whatever concessions had been granted to the nurses they were justly entitled to. liHe stressed the necessity for every one giving las much fInanclal support as' they could for the upkeep qf holt pitals. The institutions were there to provide treatment for the sick, and they did not know whose turn it would be next to be In the hospital even for that reason alone they should do all in their power to assaist the hosplital itn any way they possibly could. .Mtr. I. E. Ilond, M.L.A. said he was pleased to be present to join in the allnnuail :tlDleal for funds on behalf of theI, institution. Such appeals would naturally recur with the hospital re luiring conltinlued support.! The In stitution was there to serve the whole comllmunity and no one knew when he or ishe would seek the care and atten tion of the hospital. To give tile de si'edl attention to inmates financial isupport was necessary, and It should be readily given. The Port Fairy hos pital committee at the present time was having a great deal of worry in regard to llnatico, but int this respect it was no different from many other xlmilar Institutions througihout the State. The position had been aggrat vated by the recent award, which had nittul';ilIy Increased the nastitution's comniitments, but he agreed with the mayor and HMr. Scholflield that the concessdona given to the nursing pro fession were more than amply justi fled, and he ventured to say that the time was not far diltant when per haps the working hours would be re duced. He did not altogether agree with the present systems of ffinancing hospitals. Certainly, the voluntary system of support had proved to be very 'hencflolal. but it was generally the same section of the community that did the work. He felt that tile time had passed when the voluntary systemn would cater for the hospital 'requlrements, and some other system of flnanclng them woultd hlLve to be inaugurated. Recently a ldeplutation had waited on the P'remier asking for increased fiunancial aleslstance for 1ho pitals. He was prcliaredl to delinitely support in Parlianment a hospital tax. Until adequate financial sallalort was given to lhospitals, thi desired cflil elelncy could not lie given. Itoeferrling to thile pollcy at tile Ilospltals and Ullaritles Boord, l(r. 1ond stated that it vals desired to systematize the hos pltatls on tile same iles as the odu cation In the State, andi every effort was being made to idev'elop It along tllese lines. Co-ordlatlloni was neces Sary to make an efficient hospital system run oil econontlctal lilies. The time wase not far distant.' Mr. Bond concluded, when the preselnt system oa financing hospltals would be abol ished, and a tdirect mode of rainIng finance would ibe instituted. Thile hos pital in the prsoenlt clrculllstlnce was Ilrgely delendenllt on public support ta enlblo it to e'l'ty on, and hle hoped that tlhey wtladl continue to support the institution In any way they could. --'Oazette."

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