HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2355, 20 October 1881, Page 3

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the above Board was held at the Hospital on Wednesday afternoon last. Present —Mr H. Thomson (chairman),Mr W. Montgomery, the Mayor of Lyttelton, the Mayor of Sydenham, and the Mayor of Christchurch. The Hospital committee reported that during the fortnight ending October 15th, twenty-five patients were admitted into the Hospital and twenty-three discharged, leaving sixty-eight patients in the institution. During the same period one death occurred. For the corresponding period of last year the number of patients in the Hospital was fifty. The following letter from Q. 8. Cooper, Under Secretary, was read : Sir, —Adverting to my letter of the 2nd inst.. I have the honor, by direction of the Colonial Secretary, to inform you that his Excellency the Administrator of the Government, has been pleased to appoint Mr E. C. J. Stevens to he an additional member of the temporary Charitable Aid Board for the Canterbury district, and that his appointment was notified in last Thursday’s “ Gazette.” Colonial Secretary’s office, Wellington, Ootober 7th, 1831.

The Chairman apologised for Mr Stevens’ unavoidable absence from the meeting, Mr March (the secretary) explaining that he had been called away to Lyttelton.—A letter was read from the Mayor of Timaru, urging the appointment of a medical officer in connection with charitable aid at Timaru. It was resolved that a sum of £SO per annum be paid for the services of a medical officer, including medicine.

The following report was received from the Orphanage committee: — The Orphanage committee have ,ho honor to report that they have considered the matter referred to them at the last meeting of the Board, and have addressed a letter to the Education Department with the view of ascertaining if the Canterbury Orphanage is entitled to a grant for educational purposes from the funds voted for that purpose. The following memorandum was sent with the letter:

Memorandum for the Orphanage Committee. —I have gone carefully through the reports on industrial schools and orphanages furnished by the Education Department, and find that in the colony there are altogether eleven institutions of this class, exclusive of the Naval Training School, namely, four at Auckland, one at Wellington, two at Nelson, two in Canterbury, and two in Otago. Of the eleven schools or orphanages, two are managed by the Education Department, and are under the direct control of the Government, and maintained by special votes of the General Assembly, namely, the industrial schools at Burnham and Caversham. Three are managed by the Church authorities, and maintained as follows : St. Mary’s Orphanage, Auckland, subsidy of £1 for 431 and £lO per year for each child; St. Joseph’s Orphanage, Wellington, £lB 4s a year for each child; St. Mary’s, Nelson, 7a a week for each child. Three are managed by a committee of subscribers, and maintained as follows :—Howe street Industrial Home, Auckland, subsidy of £1 for £1 and £lO a year for each child ; St. Stephen’s Orphan Home, £lO a year for each child ; Benevolent Institution, Otago, subsidy of £1 for £1 out of charitable aid vote. One institution (the Thames Orphanage) is managed by an elected committee, and maintained partly by subsidy from charitable aid vote. One institution (the Motueka Orphanage) is managed by the proprietor and maintained by Government at a coat of 7s per week far some children and 8a a week for others, and one institution (the Lyttelton Orphanage) is managed by the Christchnrch Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and maintained out of the charitable aid vote. The report states that in “ addition to lodging, board, clothing, and domestic training, day school teaching is provided for the children of suitable age resident in all these institutions. Attached to the Howe street Home is an ordinary public school, maintained by the Education Board of the district, and on account of which the usual capitation grants are paid. The same plan is adopted at the Thames Orphanage and the Dunedin Benevolent Orphanage. The Thames Orphanage is situate at Kauaeranga Valley, about five miles distant from Grahamstown, and the day school, which is taught by the master of the institution, is attended, not only by the inmates, but by the children of the settlers in the_ neighbourhood, who would otherwise bo without the means of education. As the Education Department has only recently been entrusted with the general supervision of the Orphanages, there has not yet been 'sufficient time to obtain the same full and reliable information respecting the day school instruction in them as in the case of the public schools. As far as can be ascertained the following are the numbers receiving such instruction at the close of 1880St. Mary’s, Auckland, 60; St. Stephen’s, Parnell, 50; St. Joseph’s, Providence, Wellington, 51 ; St. Mary’s, Nelson, 45 ; Motueka Orphanage, 25 ; Lyttelton Orphanage, 86; Burnham, 160; Caversham, 226; total, 693. To these may be added the following numbers, which, for the reasons already stated, are included in the ordinary public school returns Howe street Home, 87 ; Thames Orphanage, 31; and Dunedin Benevolent Orphanage, 30; total, 148.” I find in the report by Mr Hislop on the Naval Training School the following paragragh, which bears on the case under consideration ; it is as follows -. “ Selection of schoolmaster and inspector of School Department.—l quite agree with Mr Habens that the Auckland Education Board could render valuable assistance, and I suggest that the Board be asked to recommend to you for appointment a suitable certificated teacher as schoolmaster, and to give the services of their Chief Inspector as inspector of the school department under section 6 of the Act. The Chief Inspector might be invited to visit the school soon, and make himself acquainted with its circumstances and requirements as regards school instruction and training. This would render it unnecessary to indicate the special qualifications essential to the successful holding of the office of schoolmaster, for I have every confidence that the Chief Inspector, from his largo experience, would readily take in all the requirements of the case, and be able of his own personal knowledge to select a schoolmaster who would be likely to suit the position. It is extremely desirable that the schoolmaster should bo able to teach singing well; and it would certainly prove a source of attraction if a fife and drum band could bo organised, as has been done with such good results at Caversham. It is evident that, in addition to high character and professional skill, the schoolmaster should be possessed of much prudence and tact. As the Educational Department is now entrusted with the general supervision of Orphanages, I think the whole question of capitation grant, &c. might ho brought under the notice of that department pointing out also that the present assistant-master is compelled to retire on account of ill-health, and that in the opinion of the Board a competent assistant schoolmaster should be appointed. The Board would therefore fool obliged if the department would advise them on the subject, and also aid them in the selection of a suitable teacher.—J. E. March. Christchurch, October 6th, 1881. The Secretary stated that the committee hud not yet received any reply from the Education Department. After dealing with several applications for charitable aid the Board adjourned.