A HOSPITAL DONATION

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1386, 22 February 1905, Page 3

A HOSPITAL DONATION

WAEBBNG A-A-HIKA BOXING DAY SPOBTS. A NICE POINT.

Tho donation of £35 given by the Waerenga a-hika Boxing Day Sports Committee to the Gisborne Hospital was the subject of a .lengthy discussion at the meeting of the Hospital Trustoes yesterday afternoon. •

Mr H. J. Loughor, hon sec. of the "Waarenga-a-hika Sports Committee,wrote, enclosing a cheque for .£35, the amount allotted to tfee Hospital fund from the prooeeds of tho Boxing Day sports,and tha gathering, he stated, was a very successful one, and as a result they had been able, in addition to the above amount, to hold a Bum of over .630 for tho purpose of promoting future gatherings of a similar character without having to come upon the public to contribute by way of subscriptions.. ■ . ■ ■-

A communication was also receivedfrom, the Charitable Aid Board asking for infoe-r motion in regard to the above donationv.it. being stated that the money was earmarked for the purpose, of forming the' nucleus of a fund for the construction of an isolation ward. The Chairman : The people , who have been collecting this money for the Hospital should have forwarded the whole of it.

They have no right to retain the sum of £3O. A good deal of the money was given voluntarily by town and country settlers, and it should have been .handed in- -That

is the view I take of it.. In regard to the money being devoted towards an isolation ward, that was found to be impracticable, and it was given to the Hospital uncon* ditionally. - . : r ' --. Mr- Harding: In the-letierT-reoeived-□otbing was said about the money being forwarded. They sent me a cheque and I

paid it into the general fund. The Chairman : You are quite right, I received a' private letter,' in which it was suggested that the money should be earmarked for the purposo mentioned,

but I pointed out that there were certain circumstances which rendered it unwise to earmark, and it was given without Bny stipulation as to how it should be; devoted. At the same time I feel that they had

no right to retain portion of the money. I do not say that they are likely to misuse or misdeal with the money, but I contend that the whole of the surplus froni the sports should have come back to the Hospital. .. 1 ■ - Mr Dewing: Did you say anything to them about tbi3 when you wrote ? The Chairman: Yes, they know that that is my opinion. They certainly have no right to keep the money. Captain* Tucker: I do not know eo much about that. They say that it is. to bo -devoted towards the promotion of sports next Boxing Day for a similar purpose. We should do all wo can to en-

courage sports. The Chairman : That is all very well, but this amount would have brought us a subsidy of 24s in the £, and supposing the committee make a loss next year. What position then are we in? Mr Dewing : No worse than we are now. Mr Harding; The money is in good hands:.. .

Mr Dewing ; I think the Waeranga-a-hika committee had a right to pay in money for an isolation ward if the Trustees agreed to it. It will have to be started some day. What objection is there to starting such a fund. The Chairman : They have no right to

sturt such a fund. Mr Dewing: They applied-to us to do

it. The Chairman : X think we Bhould ask them to give up the £3O kept back. ■Sic Sherratt; I£ you did that you would give them the trouble of oollpoting it again noxt December. The Chairman: L&3t year theyisept baok £ 3O, and they do the samaagji^^hU J Captain Tucker: It may '

amount. -.-• The -'Chairman: But if you sum the mmefr' up- fairly you must come to the conclusion that the money belongs to us. Mr Hherratt: But if we insist on receiving it there will be no sports next year ; and we will be the losers. Wo should try to encourage the holding of these gatherings. The Chairman : But supposing next year there is an abolute loss ? Captain Tucker: Why should the loss fall on them ? We are not backing them. Mr Harding: Yes we are, to the extent of £3O. The Chairman : Why should they not be mado to pay up ? Captain Tucker: Because we do not wish to kill the goose that lays ths golden eggs. Mr Dewing : I suppose this is muctnthe same as the Hospital ball —they really have no right to retaia the money. Tbo Chairman : I ask you, gentlemen, as trustees of the Hospital, are you within your rights in taking tko responsibility of a recurring ball whether it can be made to pay or not ? Whatever money is derived from such a function belongs to the Hospital, and should not be'held over in the manner that it is. Captain Tucker: In order to bring the matter to a close, I move that the terms of the letter bo assented to, and that the committee be thanked for the donation of £35.

Mr Harding seconded the motion, but thought the oommittee might bo requested to furnish a.balanoo-sheot. The Chairman : I am not in favor of doing so. We are losing a subsidy of 24s in the £ on this amount. Mr Gray : But we want to encourage these sports, or else they will not hold them again. Captain Tucker: Wo might ask them if they hav.o £3O or £6O in hand. . : After further discussion the motion was carried. It was also agreed to reply to the Charitable Aid Board that the donation was not specially earmarked for an eolation ward,