HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2460, 23 February 1882, Page 4

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

An ordinary meeting of this Board was held on Wednesday afternoon at the Hospital. Present —Messrs H. Thomson (chairman), W. Montgomery, J. G. Hawkes, and the Mayors of Sydenham, Christchurch and Lyttelton. The minutes of the past meeting were read and confirmed.

It waa stated that tho Hospital expenditure for tho year 1831 waa £4730, aa compared witb £4693 for 1880, and £5300 for 1879, and that the increase of the past year over tho preceding one was mainly due to a very full supply of drugs being obtained, the saving in salaries during the latter period amounting to £163. The Hospital committee reported that during tho fortnight ending February 18th nineteen patients were admitted into the Hospital and twenty-throe discharged, leaving sixty-three patients in the institution. During the same period one death occurred. For the corresponding period of last year there were fifty patients in the Hospital A letter was read from the secretary to the Blenheim Hospital forwarding £9 15s for maintenance of John Sloan in the Christchurch Hospital, requesting that he be sent to Pioton as soon as he was fit to undertake the journey. The secretary stated that Sloan had been sent to Picton by the s.s. Hawea. It having been proposed to erect new servants’ hall, kitchen and outhouses as additions to the Hospital buildings, the plan of Which was laid on the table, Mr Hawkes stated the committee would baud in its report of same at the Board’s next meeting, and the matter waa referred to them to report upon. Dr. Turnbull called attention to certain officers of the Hospital being absent therefrom from two or three o’clock till half-past ten or eleven in the evening. After explanations by Mr J. E. March the question was referred to the Hospital committee to report at next meeting. It waa stated that two patients were at present in Akaroa Hospital. The Mayor of Lyttelton reported that he had sent a destitute fever patient to tho Casual Ward at Lyttelton, in consequence of Dr. Bouse having stated she would bo well in a few days, therefore he had treated it as a case of emergency, Tho following letter was read from tho Education Department, Wellington, re the Orphanoge school: — Referring to your letter of 17th October, 1881, I bavo first to explain that delay of reply has arisen from Mr Dick’s desiro to have full information as to tho state of the Lyttelton Orphanage w.th respect to tho education of the children. The Inapcotor-Qeneral of Schools reported on the institution in November, but it was thought desirable to wait for Mr Kestell’s detailed report of examination. That report has now been received, and I send a copy for your information. Mr Dick directs me to represent to yon the great economy of teaching power that would result from having the boys and girls taught together, instead of in separate rooms and classes aa at present. In nearly all the primary schools the boys and girls are taught together, and no inconvenience is found to attend the following of the same practice in tho industrial schools of tho colony. If the school were thus reorganised and an assistant master, at about £IOO a year, added to tho staff, the teaching power ought to be adequate to tho production of very good “results.” The additional expense would be treated in the same way as the other ordinary expenses of the institution, or if yonr Board saw fit to send the children ihat have passed the first standard to the Lyttelton public school, the Education Board won d receive the statutory grant of £j 15s for every child in average attendance. If this plan were adopted, it would not bo necessary to strengthen the staff, bat it would still be most desirable to teach the boys and girls together until they had passed the first standard. Mr Eestell’s report was also read. The Mayor of Sydenham said this report ■wjb entirely at variance with his personal knowledge, and also with the verbal report of Mr Habens, and would move—“ That Mr Hcslop’s letter be referred to the Orphanage committee.” The motion was duly seconded and agreed to. It was reported that the present number of inmates in the Ashburton Home were 32, and that one death had recently taken place there. The election of clerk and collector to the Charitable Aid Board then took place, Mr Jamea E*cott, of Tinwald, being chosen out of 66 applicants. Mr J. Alexander’s salary was increased from £l4O to £165 per annum, and that of the master and matron of the Armagh street Depot from £lO9 to £125 a year. Several oises for charitable aid were considered in committee, after which Jthe Board adjourned.