HOSPITAL TRUSTEES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 36, 6 November 1907, Page 5

HOSPITAL TRUSTEES.

NEED " FOR -: EXTENSIONS.

NAUTICAL PATIENTS,

The Hospital Trustees met yesterday, wlion there were present—The Hon.' C. H. Liike (in the chair), Messrs. G. London., R. Leo, J. Banks, G.'Nash, J.'Trevor, R. C. Kirk, and F;- G. Moore, i

The Secretary's' fortnightly report stated that tliero were 113 males and 88 females in.the main hospital, being a total of 201. • patients, •as against 183 at the • same data last year. '- In the"-fever ward there ivcro 18 'patients;' as 'against- 23 last-year;. The' Victoria'. Hospital had 20 males and 17 fomalo patients, and the Seddon Hospital 11 males and six females, making-a grand total 0f'258 patients. ' On the recommendation of the committea the resignation of Nurse Longmore was accepted, 'and the .application of the Gills •Realm: League to visit patients was granted subject to the usual conditions. ; ' • A letter was received from Messrs; brown and Dean.notifying that the late Mr. I._M. McMenamen, ot Terawhiti, sheep farmer, had bequeathed £500 to the Wellington Hospital contributions, to be invested and used for -the benefit- of the Wellington' Hospital. ' It was resolved that necessary formalities set out" in' the letter be complied with, and -, steps taken to procure the legacy. Another bequest, of 'which the trustees have received no other intimation, 'was-hin-ted in' a letter, from; the "Registrar of tho- - Supreme Court-, Nelson. Ho stated that in respect of the will of the late Mi6hael Burke, an application had been made that 'air executor .should .bo allowed- a reasonable commission out'of the assets of the deceased; ! Mr. .Justice Button had ordered that the Registrar must ascertain the feelings of the beneficiaries in the matter, and an enquiry would be held , at' Nelson on November-14, Hvliich, tlie . trustees, could attend personally. ; ..or bysolicitor." , . ' '' , ' It was resolved, that the Secretary should ascertain!.to : 'what "extent the trustees are' interested!iihder the. willi; _ • On Mr. Moore's application, it was agreed that- a return be presented at the next fortnightly meeting of all moneys spent dur-' ing the last two years oil permanent improvements, to the. hospital grounds, buildings, and.furnishings., Mr. Moore oxpjained that lie, wanted the'return to. satisfy local!, bodies. ' ' Mr.' Trevor asked if anything further haq been done jii, respect of, the. site,,of,the,fever ward.,, i. , . : .. ' '- The Chairman said that nothing had been done. -The matter liad been removed from the order, paper of the Legislative Council on • thijunderstanding. . that the, matter,, was > 'receiving the earnest consideration of the Government.

Mr. Kirk said ho did not suppose thatj there wafi,time for anything to be,do,no at this :late stage,,of, the'session. , j,. Tlie\ Chairman said that .more, space would be necessary for the. general hospital before many years,.arid he was not sure that the Government should not assist them in'that direction... *:•• /.- .

Mr. Loudon asked if it ,was intended to take furthor action, for obtaining legislation to make Harbour Boards contribute' towards hospital maintenaitte. The recent. Harbour Boards Conference had protested against this, suggestion, by the Wellington Hospital Trustees, hut the treatment'of sailors, was a-very.' serious matter to the,.Wellington Hospital, and: he : thought that the Harbour Board, should contribute something to, the help of sick' sailors ' who came to the' Trustees in. indigent circumstances. The speakers at the Harbour boards. Conference had ignpred the patent,fact . that the general ratepayer had been very unjustly mulcted'in the interests of birds of passage, .'and the Trustees had|, thought that .the. Harbour Boards should make-their, contribution jn this ,matter:

The' Chnirmn'iV said that' he, had seen tho Minister for Public Health !(th'c Hon.. ' fii Fowlds), arid asked him ifisiich a'clauso would be-included in .the new Bill. . Tho Minister replied in the negativo. He (the chairman) urgedthe 'arguments, that! .had Ijeen put', forward by tlie Trustees, to which Mr. Fowlds replied that Auckland, Lyttelton, and Dtmediiii wore, in exactly the-same position, and lie could not see that Wellington had a larger proportion of these than .the other ports, especially Auckland. Continuing, the Chairman stated that there were two classes- of these patients, indigent travellers who arrived in ill-health, and sailors wlib; took sick, came to them a day or' two after, getting their discharge. 1 The Minister, lipwevcr, had declined to concede anything at' that stage, and now there was no' possibility of getting anj; legislation passed! during the present session. - Mr. London said that ho was . only concerned, to i show that the suggestion, which' tho Trustees urged and the Harbour Boards was ■ not, unreasonable.,. .

.The. Chairman said that there were pood reasons why the. Harbour Boards, should do something... Tlierb: Had been threats . of making a further call on't-lio'public if the, Boards were obliged to contribute,, but lie did not think that that would bo necessaryi in the caw of. a body liko the , Wellington Harbour, Board :