CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1717, 21 August 1879, Page 3

CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The usual meeting of the Board was held yesterday. Present—Mr H. Thomson (chairman), Dr. Turnbull, Mayors of Christchurch, Lyttelton, ~nd Sydenham, Mr J. E. Brown. The consideration of the subject of the charges at the Soman Catholic cemetery was postponed. The report of the hospital committee was read as follows :—" The hospital committee recommend that the book kept by the gatekeeper, showing the absence on leave from the hospital of the officers and servants, should also show patients' absence on leave. The committee desire to call the attention of the Board to the frequent absence of several of the servants during the past month as shown in the abstract attached to this report." It was resolved that the committee be authorised to give fresh instructions as to the granting of passes. The following report was also read :—" Tho hospital committee report that during the past fortnight 23 patients have been admitted into the hospital and 18 discharged, leaving 84 patients at present in the hospital. During the same period there havo been two deaths. The prison gang havo been employed levelling the drying grounds, clearing the creek, and in forming and shingling tho road to the new morgue. The alteration in the servants' Bitting-room will be completed in the course of a few days." A letter was read from Mr L. A. Hawkos, accepting the office of assistant dispenser and librarian. A letter was read from the Mayor of Akaroa, promising to act as local visitor to tho Akaroa Hospital. A letter, thanking Mr Deans for the gift of coal, was approved. Application had been made fo" the remission of the coat of carriage by rail, but had not been acceded to. Mr Brown thought that the department could not remit the charge. A letter was read from the widow of a patient deceased, complaining that she had not had notice of the dangerous condition of her husband.

! Mr Fridgeon reported that the pereon alluded to had died so Buddenly tiiSt notice could not be given as to the danger in which he was in. Notice had been about to be sent to the relatives at 8 a.m., the patient dying at 4 a.m., when the' widow arrived. An application frost the gatekeeper for an increase of salary was declined. A return showing She consumption of articles of diet at the Hospital for the month ending July 31st was read. The number of patients (daily average) was jevjnty-foixr, and tho staff, including servants, thirty. The return showed the following items : —Bread, 27521bs ; beef (roast and corned beef 2561b5, gravy 7791b5, rumpsteak 17$lbs,)1052}lbs; mutton, 31991b8 ; pork, 131ba ; potatoes, 1937|1bs ; t?a, lOllbs ; sugar, 312£lbs ; coffee, 231bs ; cocoa, 131bs ; flour, 1141bs ; butter, 3001bs ; oatmeal, 121bs ; arrowroot, 27}lbs j rice, 741bs; mustard, 71bs ; soda, 1201bs; soap, 1191bs ; starch, sJlbs ; candles, 31bs ; matches, 1 doz ; milk, 730 J gals; green vegetables and fish cost £3 Is ; eggs, 92£ doz ; coals, 30' tons.

An application was read from the men employed on the Domain for an increase of their wages.

Mr J. E. Brown moved—" That the Domain Board be asked by the chairman of tho Charitable Aid Board to contribute towards the wages of the charitable aid gang. That the chairman also confer with Mr Marahman as to the Government paying a share of tho cost of the charitable aid gang, seeing that the men are employed at the Orovernment Buildings." Dr. Turnbull seconded the motion, which was agreed to, A letter was read from the Hospital staff, enclosing a resolution passed at a meeting held by them, expressing their opinion that Dr. Campbell had been guilty of a breach of professional etiquette in reference to a patient named Shepherd. A second letter was read from Drs. Ellis and Patrick, resigning their position on the staff in consequence. The Mayor of Sydenham moved—" That this Board having before it a copy of a resolution passed by the medical staff, to the effect that Mr Campbell has been guilty of a breach of professional etiquette, also a letter from two members of the staff refusing to hold their appointments with Mr Campbell as a colleague, resolves that the formation of a staff be left to the Chairman, Mr Prins, and he submit their names to the Board for appointment." The Mayor of Christchurch said that the time had now arrived when the Board should face the consideration of the question of appointing a resident surgeon, a man of skill and knowledge, to whom they would give a good salary, not a miserable pittance of £2CO per year, only the salary of a counterjumper. If they did this they would be free from the bickerings of the medical staff. They Bpent money in various ways not nearly so important as this. Mr Brown would second the motion pro forma. He thought the matter should be referred back to the staff, and that if they sat down quietly and dispaßßionately to consider the matter, they would be able to arrive at a solution of tho difficulty. He thought that the resolution now before the Board was a direct vote of censure on Mr Campbell, and they were asked to do this simply on a bare resolution and a letter from two members of the staff resigning their position. He Bhould move as an amendment—" That the matter be referred back to the medical staff for their reconsideration."

The Mayor of Lvttelton seconded the motion.

Dr. Turnbull said he thought the resolution of Mr Booth was most comprehensive, as it gave the chairman of the medical staff power to reconcile the present difficulty if he found it possible. On the contrary, if the chairman of the medical staff found the difficulty irreconcilable, then he might report this to the Board and proceed with the formation of the new staff. They had all confidence in Mr Prins, who would, he felt Bure, do his best in the interests of the Board and the public. He trusted that nothing would be said about the disputes of professional men, whether lawyers, medical men, or even tradesmen. He had an idea that there was a trade etiquette, such as the objection to persons selling goods in the city except in a place for that purpose ; they had differences between the Premier and his Treasurer, and between politicians, therefore he trusted they would hear nothing more of these remarks against etiquette amongst professional men.

The Mayor of Ohristchurch should support the amendment, as there was no information on the subject before the Board upon which to ground a decision. The Chairman thought that the resolution of Mr Booth was the best one that could be passed under the circumstances. He took it that it was not a censure on Mr Campbell at all. Besides, he desired to point out that the amendment proposed by Mr Brown simply came to the same thing as the resolution of Mr Booth, because Mr Prins was theonly member of the staff left, the other remaining member being the gentleman interested. The Mayor of Sydenham said that he denied that his resolution throw any censure on any one. He had endeavoured in framing it to avoid this, and he considered that the course there laid down was the only one they could adopt. Mr Brown said that the point he wished to put was this, was it fair to put Mr Prins in the position of having to decide a matter in which his partner in practice was interested ? He said it was not. He believed

that evidence had been brought before the medical staff which had altered the minds of the members of the staff. The staff of a hospital elsewhere had, he believed, pronounced an opinion on the facts of the case directly opposite to what the staff here had arrived at. Again, he was credibly informed that Mr Prinß desired to be relieved from the duty of carrying out a resolution which he now found to be a mistake. This being so, be thought the matter should be relegated back to the medical staff, to see if they could not settle the difficulty. If they were unable to do so, then let the Board call for applications at once, and fill up the vacancies on the staff.

The Chairman said he desired to point out that while Mr Brown put it, was it fair for Mr Prins to decide on a matter in which his partner was interested, that the only other member on the staff to which Mr Brown proposed to relegate the matter was the person who was accused —Dr. Campbell. He (the chairman) might say that he had done all he could to bring the staff together. As regarded what Mr Brown had said of the alteration of the minds of the gentlemen who had resigned, he might say that he was credibly informed that no such alteration had taken place. He might say that he did not intend to use his casting as well as his original vote. Some discussion ensued on this point, and ultimately The amendment was put and declared to be carried. The Mayors of Christchurch and Lyttelton and Mr Brown voting for, and Dr. Turnbull and the Mayor of Sydenham against it, the chairman declining to vote. The Board then adjourned.