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SPORTS .............................. Page 4
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Cloudy ond �ol with scattered ,l,owers. Partial electing ovemight and light1 winds. lOw f(j_ night and high tomorrow at Prince George 40 9nd 55.
Dedicated to the Progress of tho North
Phone LO 4-2441
Vol. 3; No. 89
PRINCE GEORGE, BRITISH COLUA^BIA, FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1959
By W. D. FERRY Chairman, Finance Committee
1 have been asked Id deal with the matter of hospital finances. We have funds available for the construction of the new hospital and nurses' residence, but in respect to the day-to-day operation of the present hospital we are in a very serious financial plight, and i am afraid the difficulties will continue when we move to the new building.
Now, what is the reason for this situation and what can you, as a resident of this area, do about if.'
The Prince George and District Hospital�and I d< hope a less cumbersome name will he found for the ncv hospital�may be likened to a private business in that i' can only pay out what it has first received in; it must be run efficiently or it will be in trouble.
Our hospital has a staff of nearly 120 full-time employees, and its operating expenditures were more thar $600,000 last year. It offers hospital care to those whe require it, and some 5,700 admissions were recorded ir V.)5H. But it differs from a private business in two ven important aspects: first of all. and of course this is onh right and proper, it cannot turn away customers who require immediate hospitalization simply because they cannot pay. A private business can refuse a poor credit risk: a hospital, by its very nature, cannot.
Secondly, the hospital differs from a private business in that the board of management has no control over the daily rates it charges. Jt has really no way of securing additional revenue to meet increased costs or additional services requested by the public during the year. The board is in very much the same position as a man on a fixed salary who cannot quit his job or increase his income but is faced with an ever enlarging family and higher prices. He can only cut his expenditures to a certain degree, then he begins to run on credit, and then he finds the sheriff breathing down his neck.
The hospital hasn't had any trouble with the sheriff yet, but we are in a very precarious position. Many of our accounts are four and five months outstanding and at the end of March we owed S'73,000 on accounts which had been incurred more than ;)0 days beforehand.
But, you Avill ask, how about this new federal hospital insurance scheme? Well, apart from the fact that a greater percentage of our patients are now eligible for hospital insurance, it has not made a great deal of difference to our financial position. The federal government makes payments to the provincial government, and this local hospital in turn receives funds from Victoria. But the money we receive is not necessarily sufficient to pay
yU.t' 'bLUi.. WLia.L we do receive ik Ll set amount pev day for each patient covered. We submit a proposed budget each year; the hospital insurance service compares it with the budgets of other hospitals, and with the total funds available and then makes an allocation to us.
But very often costs go up during the year. We may have a number of particularly ill patients requiring additional nursing care, or the cost of our supplies may increase. For instance, last year we spent 50 per cent more on drugs than we had anticipated, yet all these additional drugs were essential in the treatment of the patient.
I recall one case in which the cost of the drugs required by one patient was several hundred dollars in excess of the total payment received for the patient's care from the hospital insurance service. You see, we are dealing with the life and death of our fellow people and the question as to whether or not funds are available cannot be the sole guide.
The hospital board will, of course, continue to press Victoria for the additional funds we so urgently require. But we must remember that the hospital insurance service can only treat us in the same manner as they treat other hospitals. It seems to me that what is required is some simple method by which the hospital board could present a request to the people in the area for local funds for a specific purpose. Then the people served by the hospital would have it in their power to control the standard of hospital care they require. If they wish to vole the money, the standards will go up; if they feel the cost is not justified they can vote accordingly, but the choice is theirs.
In the meantime, what ran you personally do to assist the hospital, and remember, the quality of hospital service available may be a matter of life and death to you. Firstly, we ask you to pay your hospital accounts for co-insurance, private ward charges, and so on, just as soon as possible. That will place badly needed money in our hands. Secondly, assist the Women's Auxiliary in their fund-raising events. I say quite frankly that the value of equipment donated by this organization to the hospital in past years cannot be overestimated. You cannot attach a monetary value to a human life saved. Thirdly, think of the hospital when you make your will. It is a means of helping the hospital which is often overlooked. Whether the bequest is for $50 or 85,000, it will serve a useful purpose at, I hope, some date far distant in the future.
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A PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK, when occupied, serves as a safety zone for crossing a street and drivers must bring the automobiles to a complete halt. Here, a little girl walks across the street with confidence as the approaching motorist stops well back of the yellow line.
THIS MOTORIST didn't obey the crosswalk, and, as a result, hit the girl. And a little girl is no match for an automobile. The car is well into the crosswalk area, so it is easy to see who is at fault. This is the last m a pictorial Safety Week series by Citizen photographer Hal Vanderyborti_____________________i
Shockey To Speak At I & T Conference
Bill Shockey, Secretary of the Prince George and District Industrial Development Commission, will "deliver a paper Monday afternoon to the first British Columbia Industrial and Trade Conference in Vancouver.
The paper on regional development in this area will be given at one of six panel discussions being held during the two-day meeting sponsored by the B.C. Department of Industrial Development. Trade and Commerce.
The meeting, being held at the University of British Columbia, will hear addresses from a number of important dignitaries and will be attended by many important industrial leaders as well as municipal representatives.
Among the speakers to be heard are: Robert Bon-ner, Provincial Attorney-General and E. P. O'Neill, Secretary of the B.C. Federation of Labour.
Rotariuns To
LOTS OF MUSCLE is the claim of this crane used to lift a two-and-a-half ton air conditioning unit to the top of the uncompleted addition to the Hudson's Bay store in Prince George. The feat took place Thursday afternoon � when it wasn't raining. �Vandervoort Photo.
Sue Killy Leaves On Citizenship Adventure
Sue Killy, Prince George's George Davis qf. Vanderhoof on
the train last night.
cprescntativc in the nationwide Rotary International "Adventure in Citizenship," is on her way to Ottawa.
She boarded an east-bound train here last night, and will join representatives of other areas in the four-day program in Canada's capital, May 11 to 14. Over 1S2 students from the ten provinces will learn how the nation is governed.
Sue, an alert Senior High student, was escorted to the station by Chuck Ewart, Rotary president, -several Rotary members and the Rotary Pipe Band.
The fortunate student, chosen to represent this area, joined Diane Roberts of Burns Lake, Lorraine Martin of Prince Rupert, Sheila McCall of Terrace, Bob Edy of Srnithers, Ian Berry . of Kitiniat and
All will be guests of the Ottawa Rotary Club during sightseeing and entertainment in the city, which will be topped off with a visit to parliament in session.
Sue will return about May 17 and relate to classes and various young people's groups�as well as Rotary Club � her adventures.
About two-thirds of the Ro-tarians service clubs in Canada
joined in "Adventure in Citizen ship" to sponsor outstanding high school students from each area for the trip to Ottawa.
Dead Man Identified
Six Month Sentence
A local man was sentenced In city police court today to six months in jail for passing a worthless cheque for $13.35 at Blow's Prescriptions on Third Avenue.
Andre Talbot, 33, pleaded guilty to passing the worthless cheque recently in receipt for a quantity of medicine.
have been found of the death late
Ncxt-of-kin and notified Monday night of Dennis Legault in a highway mishap near the Prince George Airport.
Mounted Police report that relatives of the traffic victim have been found at La Prairie, Quebec.
Two Quesnel residents established definite identification of the dead man here last night allowing police to follow suspicions that n'ext-pfrkiri were living ut La Prairie.
BellSitghani
Prince George will lose about 55 citizens this weekend to the District 504 llo-tary International annual conference in Bellinghahi, Washington.
The Rotariaris will be leaving by car today and tomorrow, with the bulk of the conference delegates departing from Prince George at the bright and early hour ')f (i a.m. Saturday.
The main purpose the local service club nicm-bers will have in attending the meeting will be to, establish Prince Gcorye as the site of next year's annual meeting.
Charlie Graham, organizer of the trip, says, "the chances are good," that the group will be aide to have the next annual gathering scheduled for this city.
Prince George delegates will be continually selling our city to the meeting and t h e g o o d representation should be very effective in having the local delegation noticed at (he conference, PIPE BAND, TOO
The district, which takes in Northern Interior Washington, the Fraser Valley, the Lower Mainland, the Northern Interior and all of A 1 a s k a, has about 2.000 members and attendance at the Bellingham gathering is expected to be about seven or eight hundred.
Among the 55 Rotarians and their wives are included members of the Prince George Rotary Pipe Band which will open and close the conference.
Club member Harry Lod-ei' will lead the group pane discussion on cbminunitj service.
Besides the 55 Idea people leaving h)r ylc con
vent ion, which lasts fron Saturday afternoon througl Sunday, Monday and Tues day, many other delegates from Northern B.C. are ex pected to journey througl this city on their way t the conference from Princ Rupert, Smithers, B u r n Lake, Terrace, Vanderhoo and other centres.
Corrective surgery for lie heart ailment which capitalized 20 - year - old 'rince George mother, Mrs. "rank Bencher, in Mayo ,'linie at Rochester, Minne-ota, may, be postpmtal in | e finitely.
The condition, which has ilagued the heart sufferer ){- eight years, has been iagnoscd as a hole in the vail which separates the ppcr chambers of the cart. Surgery is possible j cure the ailment.
However, relatives report hat there is no appointment >r surgery available for omc time.
Unless d o c t o r s at the linie can find a cancelled ppointment for her in the lext two weeks tjhey advise lie be sent home to wait i n t i I an appointment is >peii;
Should a waiting period ie necessary, however, the Jenchers feel it would be n the patient's better inter-sts to find her a temporary )jace to reside near the Vlayo Clinic rather than lave her return to Prince
eo'rge and then fly back tgain when surgery can be performed.
For this reason Mrs. Bencher's sister, Mrs. Gladys McLanc, has flown to Rochester to be with the ailing mother.
Mrs. McLane left for the clinic on Tuesday and plans o stay with the frail, but ehacious, invalid until cor-�ective surgery can be ar-�anged.
. Mrs. Bencher's sister i� he mother of two-year-old C i n d y Lou McLarie, the little tot who disappeared ast summer in the Willow River area and was n-evei found.
The family in Prince George hopes to hear shortly if an appointment will be available within the next two weeks dtie to a canccl-ation. They arc preparec to keep Mrs. Bencher nea tlie clinic until surgery it-available.
They feel that journeying back and forth would b too trying on the mother o a tvo-and-u-half-yciu'-ok son.
Mrs. Bencher was sent t Mayo Clinic by $800 raise during a weekend canvas by the Prince George Sei vice Clubs Council; whig heard about her plight.
Extensive examination by doctors in Prince
nd Vancouver failed to dis-over the cause of her heart �ouble and she was failing ipidly when the service ubs pitched in to help. Mrs. Bencher liveel with or husband J^rmrV and leir boy at 750 Harper treet.
B-7
Other numbers: G-58, N-36, 1-20, 6-46, 0-71, G-59, B-l, 1-30, B-6, B-l 1, G-57, 1-18, 1-19, N-35, N-40, N-43, 0-62, 0-63, N-34, G-50, 0-64, N-32.
hePineviewH , listen to a ".Ik by^W. D. Bill' RciVh of the B.C. I'or-
SThe cjw�l, mostly from the ' n.bor Crock area,
lhes and chair, to islcn to Mr. Reith and view
The-W0 hour show, one of vvny given by Mr. Keith to omtnunlties and schools in the >riricc George area, pointed out he need for forest conservation
forest fire prevention. Mr. K�'itli is touring tho
province
nncl will be 1� t-Utt
for an-
Priiicc George area other two works.
Last night, he showed Tour ilins to demonstrate the close tlilzation of forest products nd sustained yield methods ,-hich lead to forest perpctua-iov>.
One film, "The Mark of Progress," was made in the Prince 3eorge area about a year ago. It leals with the sustained yield of forest products.
Mr. Reith will talk and pre-i'erit his films again in the cck Community Hull.
Mother's Day Tea
The First Fort George Guide and Brownie �i'oup.s are holding aMotb?*s%dy Tea on Tuesday, ffl&}" aj 7:30 p.m. in the $coxxi and Guide Hall. , ' ,a
There wi� he . a. Cak^ raffle and entertainment provided !�; *e Girl Guides and ^