A LOSING ASSET

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 102, 24 January 1919, Page 7

A LOSING ASSET

MACARTHY HOME AT BELMONT

TRUSTEES TO BE APPROACHED

At .yesterday's' meeting of tlio Wellington.'Hospital and Charitable Aid Board Mr. George l'ethericlc drew tho attention of tho board to tho fact that on December 31 thero was only ono child patient in the llacarthy Homo for Convalescents at Belmont. Mr. Petljerick said it was almost deplorablo that such a state of tilings should exist. Ho would have thought after all that had been said, that there would havo been lots of children who suffered by tho epidemic who could bo cared for in the home. Thcro was only onechild there, and , ho aesumed that there was the , -usual staff to attend to the place. It seemed to him that they were always'up against those ugly -words "charitablo aid." It seemed deplorable that such a homo should be maintaining one patient. Mr. Baldwin: "There are five today." Practically, he continued, tho institution had been thrown open. Whcthor it was, as Mr. Petherick had stated, that the home was regarded as a form of charitable aid or not he did not know; but medical men -were informed that patients could be sent there subject to the consent of tho medical superintendent; and they-had also got the consent of the 'trustees to throw it open.to women, subject to a provision to report at the end or six months. The trustees would sit next month, when that report would be furnished. . ' ■ ' Mr. JB. Burn said that the place was 'a-.positive burden to the contributing local bodies. Ho supposed the home wns costing between £500 and £GOO-a year. ■ • ' : A voice: "Easy." Mr. Burn said he.would like tho trustees to take the place over alto--gether. -• ■ ■--'-■ ■■■■'•■ '■■ :Mr. van'Stavereh said that members of the board appeared to forget how the -Macarthy Home came into existonce. The members of the board waited .on thetrustees with a request for money to build a home. • Mr". Baldwin said that was not correct. -Tlio trustees might have been waited on, but not by the board, or on 'behalf "of the board. . Mr. van Staveren' et'obd his ground, and stated' that the. Rev. Mr. Evans as chairman waited 911 thVboard. That was the case, arid'as the-result tho .trustees-' offered -the.-board £6000. Ho did iiot like the idea , of. some members, who seemed to cast'a slur' on ' tha trustees'." " ■■''•■'■. ' ' --. ■ Mr.-Baldwin said that •Mγ. Evans may have waited on the trustees, but not' as chairman of the board,. nor could he commit the board. He, as Chairman, said that it" could not be done without tho confirmation of. the board. '■■'•'■ '• Mr. v'aii Staveren: It was confirmed. Mr. Baldwin: 'The first intimation the- board had about the matter was a letter from the trustees offering the £0000." ■-'-.■" •■•" :,: - ..",'. ■ :.-' Mr.'F.!T. Moore.said that the whole trouble was'tliat the home was in the wrong place.. Had it been in the centre of the Hutt instead of on top of the Belmont: hills it would have been all ■ rights It-was in an inaccessible place, and that was why it was 'so long ah empty white elephant. ' . • Mr. .0. Mv Luke dismissed tho origin "of the. home' as -inconsequential, and suggested ■'α-cpnference with the Macartliy Trustees to see what Tjest. .could'be done: To that end he sug-. gested 'a, committee , comprised of Messrs. H. Baldwin, J. Smith,-and F. Castle,, to which-his own name was added, to meet the trustees and determine what profitable use could be ■made of the property.