NAPIER HOSPITAL COMMITTEE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3584, 6 January 1883, Page 3

NAPIER HOSPITAL COMMITTEE.

FIiIDAY, JANUAKY 0. The Conmiittee met at 2.130. Present: His Worship the Mayor fin the chair), Messrs AL R. Miller, C. B. Winter, H. A. Banner, J. A. Sndth. C. L. Margoliouth, and H. H. AVall. THE INSUKANCE QUESTION. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read and confirmed, the secretary handed to Mr Banner a printed report of a discussion that took place at the previous meeting with reference to Ids (Air Banner's) conduct in regard to the Hospital fire insurance policy. Air Banner said he had already seen the report. VISITING COMMITTEE'S KEI'OKT. A most satisfactory report was brought up by the visiting committee for the month, to the effect that the whole of the work ordered to be done had been thoroughly carried out, and that the entire working of the institution reflected the highest credit on the staff. GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY. The Chairman read the following copy of a letter which he had written to the Colonial Under-Secretary on the subject of the subsidy:— Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter bearing No. 82 — 1878, and dated 25th Nov., 1882. AYith respect to the apparent discrepancy, to winch you direct my attention, between my letter of 23rd Sept.'and llth Nov., perunt me to submit for the consideration of the Hon. the Colonial Secretary the followingpoints : —l. That the sum of .€1037 received by the Hawke's Bay Hospital two months ago was" merely the .£1 for £1 subsidy for the portion of the year ending so long since as the 31st March ultimo. Consequently the hospital has received no Government assistance during the present financial year, eight months of which have already elapsed. My committee were hopeful that they might have paid this ..1000 to the credit of the biukliug fund. They have, however, been compelled to coqiend it in maintenance, and thus have become deprived of their savings of last year. 2. That in asking for the £1500 the committee are not exceeding the terms of the memorandum laid before the Hon. the Colonial Secretary on the occasion of his visit to Napier, which says, " £0000—Of this sum the Government is requested to provide £250 per month." This amount the committee now ask for is in accordance with this paragraph, namely —£250 per month for six months, making a total of £1500. lam aware that the committee has not yet been able to perform its portion of the contract by raising an equivalent, the reason for which is that the public bodies aud the public generally, taking the words of the Colonial Treasurer in their literal interpretation, have arrived at the conclusion that, the Government having undertaken the maintenance of all colonial hospitals during the current year, it is unnecessary to raise funds locally for the purpose. At the same time I am persuaded, from promises received, that an appeal which is about to be made for subscriptions towards eidarging the hospital will be met liberally, and that in this way the committee will be able to redeem its promise of raising £3000 for hospital purposes, most probably before the close of the present financial year. Lastly, I beg to point out that the committee has no intention of endeavoring to retreat from the position it assumed in September last, but at the same time the ad interim assistance of the Government, as now asked, would have a material effect in assisting it in carrying out the object it has in view. The Chairman then read the following reply which he had received from the Hon. Mr Dick, under date the Oth of December: — Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2nd instant. The Government recognises with satisfaction the manner in winch tho inhabitants of the Hawke's Bay Provincial District have hitherto subscribed towards the support of the Napier Hospital, one indication of which fact is the large amount of £1037 that was claimed up to March 31st on the £1 for £1 principle. But it is evident that money paid for maintenance could not well be appropriated to a biuldiug fund, aud also that if Government takes over all the liabilities of the Hospital Board ou the 31st of March it should also get all its assets. If there is therefore on the 31st of March a sum of £1037 or a larger sum ou hand for hospital maintenance, it is difficult to see how it can fairly be spent in any other way. Moreover, the Government having given the £1037 which you propose to put to the bidlding fund, it can scarcely be asked to give £1 for £1 ou its own payments. It seems now that the committe desire that the Government should be at all the expense of maintenance of the hospital. To this no objection can bo offered, as it is qmte in accordance with the statement of the Colonial Treasurer ; but it should not be called upon to do so wliile there are funds in hand. If therefore you will furnish the Government with a statement of the amount on hand for maintenance on the 81st March, including the payment of £1037 received from' Government, and will deduct it from the payments you have made from that date, it cheque will be forwarded for the balance, and hereafter you will oblige by forwarding the accounts direct to the Government for payment, as the auditor requires such a course to be pursued. The committee has hitherto displayed great interest in the affairs of the hospital, but probably as it is desired that the Government shall be at all the expense of maintaining that institution, the representatives from

the different Councils would not take the same interest that they have done when they contributed towards the funds. It might therefore be advisable to get as many yearly subscribers as possible of 11 and upwards, and ask them to elect yearly four of their number as members of committee, the Govermnent appointing other four. I feel sure from the interest you have hitherto taken in the hospital, and from the additional fact of your holding the position of Mayor of Napier, that you will assist and advise the Government in this matter, so that the patients in the hospital may not suffer in any way. It might therefore be better that you should look upon any remarks about the future management of the hospital more as enquiries and suggestions than as anything more, and meanwhile I trust that everything will be conducted in the same satisfactory maimer as hitherto. Of course if the gentlemen at present on the committee continue to take the same interest in the affairs of the hospital as hitherto, and represent contributors, or are themselves donors, it will be highly desirable that they should continue to act with the addition of two Government officials to represent the Government. I am glad to notice your continued assurance that the Hospital Committee will be able to redeem its promise of raising. 13000 for hospital purposes, most probably before the close of the present financial year, and if so I presume that amount will be laid out on buildings, as the Government are now requested to be at the whole cost of maintenance. If this is done the Napier Hospital will be large enough for many years to come, and will be a most suitable building for the purposes for which it is intended. Dr Spencer animadverted severely on the articles that had appeared in the Napier papers, and was of opinion that they, in conjunction with Mr Sutton, had forced the Government into its present position. Heread a number of telegrams, which appeared to be replies to written or telegraphic communications from himself to the Hon. MiDick, the drift of which apparently was that tho Government declined to appoint four representatives until the subscribers had elected their members, and further that the Municipal and County Councils might be allowed to elect one representative each should they subscribe a sum of not less than 1200 to the funds of the Hospital. The Secretary begged most respectfully to point out that, should the Committee agree to those proposals of the Government, their condition would be far worse than if they remained on the old footing of 11 for £1 subsidy, for whilst, under the new terms suggested, out of i'GOOO required for building" and maintenance the Government would contribute only about 11000. the Committee finding the remainder, whilst the control of the management of the Hospital would virtually pass into the hands of the Government. It had always been the practice of the out-going Committee to leave the settlement of any vital subject to their successors, and he begged the'CVmunittce to follow in this instance the precedent established. Mr Miller strongly opposed the Committee—the moribund Committee, he might almost say-dealing with the questions raised. The injustice to the AVairoa would be .great, and that county had always contributed liberally according to its means. Mr Margoliouth strenuously deprecated matters of such unportance being dealt with by the outgoing Committee, and enforced ' his views at some considerable length. After a long discussion. Air Banner stated that, as that woidd be the last occasion of his .sitting on the committee, he would like to have recorded in the minutes an authority from the Committee to forward to the Government an account which he hud prepared. Mr AVinter, having examined the account, stated that it was unaudited, and was not in accordance with the ordinary accounts reqiurcd by the Government. The Secretary pointed out that the statement of accounts, though apparently simple, virtually committed them to the acceptance of the disastrous proposals of the Government, and implored the Committee not to commit the subscribers to such si course pending the election of the new Committee. The majority of the Committee took this view, and it was decided that the consideration of the whole question should be relegated to a special meeting of the Committee to be held on Friday next. It was, however, .subsequently pointed out that as the new Committee would be elected next Tuesday the old Committee would have no fonts standi, and Mr AVinter stated that he for one would not attend the meeting. Mr Smith, who had proposed that Mr Banner should be authorised to forward the proposed account to tho Govermuent, but who found no seconder for his motion, at this juncture pleaded indisposition, and left the Chamber. The Chairman made some suggestion as to the clergy who took up Hospital collections being represented, but we were unable to make out whether they were to serve on the Committee themselves, or merely to have a vote in the election of members. In reply to Mr Banner, Mr Margoliouth said that if the treasurer left his accounts in proper shape there should be no difficulty iv Ids successor being enabled to make out any financial statements that might be required by the Government. ANNUAL REPORT. The Surgeon-Superintendent presented a most favorable report for the year, with full medical and surgical statistics, but as this will shortly be published and placed in the hands of our readers, together with an alphabetical list of subscribers attached, it need not be referred to futher at present. THE ELECTION. A long discussion took place as to the mode of conducting the election of the new committee. Mr Miller stated that the bye-law on the subject was perfectly clear, and that the election would have to be carried out in accordance therewith. The Borough Council and the Hawke's Bay and AVairoa County Councils having subscribed for twelve months from March last were entitled to be represented on the incoming Committee. The Secretary said that the Government proposals were purely suggestive. The Govermnent had not contributed one shilling beyond the subsidy for the previous year, and therefore had no locus standi. Ultimately it was resolved that the election should be carried out in accordance with the bye-law. IANCY l'-AIII. The question of holding a fancy fair on behalf of the hospital was mooted, but was left to the new committee to deal with. FINANCE. It was resolved that the sum of £1036 standing to the credit of the suspense account be passed to the maintenance account. The Committee then adjourned.