THE ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK

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

THE ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK

FOR CHARITABLE AID PURPOSES The. report of tho Finance Committee of tho Wellington Hospital Uoard presented at yesterday's- meeting included tho following clause:—''That the.Minister of Public Health, be'requeeted to sanction the erection of fharitablo aid. officee on the. hospital srounds (as per plan), and that such building be made so a-s to te suitable nyehtuallj' for the head office staff, at an estimated cost of between £3000 and IMOOO." ' . ■ . ...

Tho chairman (Mr. H. ftaldniri) said that the clause referred to tho proposed erection later on of a, new building for charitable aid . administration. At present they wero paying rent- equal to interest on £2000 (on thn Marion Street promises); and tho proposal was that they should spend £8000 on a new building. ...

Mrs. Grace Neill combated tho idea of changing the location of the.charitable aid rooms to. Newtown. It was a wrong idea to bring it down, there ivhen tho majority' of tho nnplicat.ione for charitable aid came from the vicinity of the present premises in Marion Street.

Mrs. M'Laren .il6o thought it would be a great mistake to change, and rcmindod tlie board .that she had opposed the Droposal before when it was brought up before the board. . "I do detest this commercial attitude that h »hv>'->i' beinc taken—talcing up tho sordid.side of things should not be so much what it costs, but how can wp host hervfit tho people who are in need," said Mrs. M'Laren. .. . ' • .

Mr. A. J. M'Ourdy suggested producing a record of tlie location of applicants.

It was pointed out by the chalrmnn that the old order had changed. That the practice of giving applicants orders on storekeepers was.noty so general that they could not now afford to pay the' wages of a stproman at Marion Street. Ho further said that the plans of the aiew building had been prepared under the supervision of the superintendent of charitablo aid (Mr. A. Truebridge). The Rev. H. van Staveren contended that tho Hospital grounds were more central than Marion Street. It n-as surely not a great hardship to go to the Hospital grounds ior charitable aid. Mr. John Smith said that people went thoro for medicino, why not for charitablo aid such as rations? Thon there wore such places us Miramar, Seatoun, •and other places to consider, and, after all, they would save by it. At one time he thought To Aro was the hub of the universe. It was not so now. . Mr. 1). Campbell favoured tho centralisation idea. Mrs. Neill.said that they were adopting a policy she had fought against tooth-and nail years ago. Mr. Baldwin, said they had to think of Seatoun, .Mirnmar, Island Bay, Brooklyn, and other places. Ho thought-it'would bo host for all parties to go ahoad as proposed. In the nicantimo they would get tho-informa-tion as to tho loeatioTi of applicants from the superintendent,- who would ■appear in person at tho next meeting. •Mr. B. O. H. Burn: "I thought milkmen were tho only ones taking in the public. I see tho grocers are in tho same boat." (Laughter.) The clause was agreed to.