HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1511, 19 December 1878, Page 3

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

A special meeting of this Board was held on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Present—His Worship tho Mayor of Christchurch (chairman), the Mayor of Sydenham, Dr. Turnbull, and Mr J. E. Brown. The chairman said that he had seen a telegram in the public papers notifying the gazetting of the Board, but no official notification had reached them. Tho only information they had was from tho public papers. No “ Gazette” had reached them, as was the rule when notifications were made. Mr Booth enquired whether the improvements promised by the Government had been carried out. Tho Chairman said that they were not yet advertised for. It would be as well for a letter to be written, »o as to elicit an official reply. It was resolved that the chairman communicate with the Public Works Department, asking when the repairs and alterations as sanctioned by Government—at the Hospital will be commenced. A letter was read from the Government respecting the recommendation of the Board to give Mr March a salary of £IOO per annum, on account of the onerous duties performed by that gentleman as secretary of the Board. Tho letter was as follows: — Colonial ? ecretary’s Office, Wellington, 11th December. Sir,—l have this morning to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 3rd instant, forwarding copy of a resolution passed by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, recommending that a salary of £IOO per annum be paid to Mr March by the Board in consideration of his onerous duty in connection therewith. In reply, I am directed to inform you that, in view of the very large cost of these institutions in Canterbury, and the increase which has recently taken place in them, it appears to the Colonial Secretary very inopportune to raise Mr March’s salary now when the greater part of the responsibility'is taken by the Board itself. Col. Whitmore therefore trusts the question of increased salary to Mr March may be suspended until a permanent Board is elected. I have, &c., G. S. Cooper. Tho Chairman said he thought it was very hard on a Government officer, because he was a Government officer, having work outside of his department put on to him without any remuneration whatever. This seemed to him

to be a monstrous matter. Dr. Turnbull said this was the policy of the present Government, and they could not expect to alter it at all. The same policy was pursued by them in connection with the Sheriff. The Chairman read a telegram from the Government to the Mayor, in which the City Council was asked if they had appointed their representative to the Board. Dr. Turnbull could not gather from that what the Government meant. The representative of Christchurch was, of course, the Mayor. The Chairman said that he was utterly at a loss to know what was meant by the Government communication. If the information sent by the Government to the Christchurch local body was the only amount they intended to give, it was hard for any one to understand what was the course to pursue. Dr. Turnbull said that the Government having some vague idea of a new Board, it would be of no use to frame rules. The matter then dropped. The House Surgeon reported that there had been eighteen cases admittedlduring the week, mostly of rheumatism. It was resolved on the motion of Dr. Turnbull —“ That the new ward be used as a surgical ward, and the present surgical ward transferred to a medical ward.” The report of the House Steward for the week was read. He reported ten discharges during the week. The Chairman suggested that the Board should have before them the Bank pass-book, in order that they might see that the amounts stated in the list were paid into the public account.

The House Steward laid the cash and Bank hooka before the Board. A letter was read from the town clerk, Lyttelton, asking the Board, on the recommendation of the medical gentlemen of Lyttelton, to have the water laid on to the casual ward. Mr March reported that he had visited the casual ward and found four inmates. The Chairman asked whether the seamen who were now inmates of the casual ward, could not be sent over to Christchurch. Dr. Turnbull said that using the ward for cases such as those now in it had the effect of filling the beds, whilst in case of an accident they would not be able to get them in. It was doing away with the very name of the ward, which was for cases of accident. So soon as the patients could be moved they should bo so. After some discussion, it was resolved that the casual ward should bo connected with the Lyttelton waterworks. It was resolved that the letter of the Colonial Secretary respecting the recommendation of the Board as to allowance to Mr March, be referred to the Chairman and Mr Brown.

The Board then proceeded to consider the letter of the Colonial Secretary to the Board respecting the constitution of the new Board, Dr. Turnbull said that Colonel Whitmore was evidently under the impression that they were going to form committees to raise funds. He said—“ It would therefore be more satisfactory if, hereafter, the two branches could bo separated and kept distinct, and that at least the charitable aid committee included some representation of the body of individual voluntary subscribers. In relation to this part of the subject, Government would gladly see some such effort made by the Board, as I learned was in contemplation by it, to stimulate that spirit of local benevolence which has throughout the colony been readily awakened at the first serious appeal. Hut us local management, or a system. 1 kely to produce successful administration, is the first object of Government, if the views above ex-

pressed do not meet with the concurrence of the Board and inhabitants of the provincial district, I shall bo happy to co-operate with any committee which is of a purely local character, constituted in such a manner us to command local confidence.” That was, ho expected them to go out into the street and collect a committee to raise funds. Mr Brown said that Colonel Whitmore seemed to be under the impression that the communication of the contents of the letter to the several local bodies would result in their taking action for the election of representatives. What they should do was to reply that the Board had heard nothing from the local bodies. How were the Board to communicate with a lot of County Councils, &c. The Chairman said the Government wanted them to go out of their way as an old Board to get a new one to come in. Mr Brown said that he felt that Colonel Whitmore was endeavoring to institute the same system that was in force elsewhere, viz,, the formation of committees, &o. who might undertake the responsibility of management of hospitals, &e. Tiro answer he thought to be returned to the letter was that no communication had been received by the Board from the local bodies mentioned. Mr Booth said that it was a very important matter when they found the Government proposing that if the local bodies provided half the cost of the management of hospital and charitable aid they would pay the other half. This would make the greatest possible difference to the ratepayers. Mr Brown thought that Mr Booth had got hold of a wrong idea. The statement of Colonel Whitmore referred to the new Board which was to be elected. The Chairman said he wished to point out that the Hospital and Charitable Aid must be taken over before any money was given by the Government on the £ for £ principle. After some further discussion, the Mayors of Christchurch and Sydenham were requested to bring the letter of Colonel Whitmore before their respective Councils. After the discussion of some matters in committee relating to the management of the Hospital, the Board adjourned until Saturday next, at 7 p.m.