KUMARA HOSPITAL.

Kumara Times, Issue 2932, 23 March 1886, Page 2

KUMARA HOSPITAL.

ELECTION OF TRUSTEES. The first meeting of contributors to the Kumara Hospital as a "separate" institution appointed in terms of section 49 of " The Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1885," took place in the Town Hall last evening. The business of the meeting was notified to be for the election of Trustees, and to transact any other business put before it. There were about sixty contributors present, and Henry Burger, E>q. (Mayor) was called upon to take the chair.

The Chairman stated that the meeting was convened by Act of Parliament to elect Trustees for the Kumara Hospital, which had now been incorporated as a separate institution under the new Act. As one of the members of the out-going Hospital Committee he was pleased to be able to state that the Trustees, whoever they might be, would start with a very good position, financially. It would lay with the contributors to adopt whatever mode thev thought proper of conducting the election. But before proceeding with the election, the Secretary to the Hospital Committee would lay before the subscribers and contributors the present state, of affairs.

Mr R. E. Wylde, Secretary, then read the following l'eport :

The Committee of the Kumara Hospital in presenting this their last report to the subscribers, beg to submit the following statement of the affairs of the Hospital. Upon taking office the Committee found on September 30th, 1885, a debit balance of £139 9s 9d. The total income from that date has amounted to £738 16s 2d. The expenditure for the same period has amounted to £6BO 4s Id, which leaves at the present time a credit balance of £SB 12s Id. We have therefore much pleasure in congratulating the subscribers upon the present financial position of the H ospital.

Since September 30th to the present date 27 in-patients have been treated in the Hospital, including a number of very bad cases. Out of this number three deaths have occurred and 19 have been discharged cured or relieved leaving five patients in the institution at the present time, suffering from the following diseases -.—Pleurisy, 1 ; wounds and contusion, 2 ; fractured leg, 1; paralysis, 1. The following is a statement of the attendance of the various members of Committee during their term of office :

From this it will be seen that several seats had become vacant; but in consideration of the near approach of the election of trustees the Committee did not think it necessary to fill np these vacancies. As the Hospital is now to exoerience an entire change of management, the Committee trust that the subscribers will exercise the same care as formerly, choosing as their successors those who will be

likely to maintain the Kumara Hospital in that premier position of being, as it always has been, one of the most selfsupporting institutions in the colony. It is hardly possible to over-estimate the importance to the public of maintaining the Hospital as it is, and entirely subject to local control ; and, in resigning their charge, the Committee trust that the future of the Hospital will continue in the same successful course as it ha 3 done.

For the Committee, L. Ziegler, Treasurer. R. E. Wyi.de, Secretary. March 22, 1886. Mr Dennett moved that the report as read be received and adopted. The motion was seconded by MiGibbons, and carried. Mr John White moved a vote of lhanks to the members of the outgoing Committee who had worked well, and brought the affairs of the Hospital to such a satisfactory condition at their termination of office.

The motion was seconded by Mr Home, and carried with acclamation. The Chairman stated that the Hospital Committee had taken the matter into consideration, and they thought that the mode of election of the six Trustees required might be best effected by writing the nominations on a black board, which had been procured for the purpose, and the contributors could then choose from the list the names of the candidates for whom they wished to vote, and write the names of not more than six on the voting forms which would he handed to them.

A contributor wished to know why they could not. vote for nine Trustees. He saw the Hokitika contributors had elected nine.

The Chairman explained that the number of Trustees to be elected was regulated by the Act, which provided that where the number of contributors to an institution did not exceed 500, only six Trustees could be elected by such contributors. At Hokitika they had over 500 contributors, and were therefore entitled to elect nine. Mr Morris thought it would be advisable to mention that of the six Trustees to be elected two would hold office for three years, two for two years, and two for one year, and that two would then retire yearly, in rotation. The following seven contributors were nominated as Trustees:—Messrs H. Burger, G. Voysey, 0. Harris, J. Wooldridge, F. Payne, W. Morris, L. Ziegler. Mr W. Morris expressed his willingness to retire, to save an election. He said the other nominees' were all good men.

Most persons seemed desirous to have an election, and Mr Morris assented.

Mr Robert Wylde was appointed Returning Officer to conduct the election, assisted by Messrs W. Barnett •and H. Hope, and Messrs Rndkin and John White as scrutineers.

It was resolved to at once proceed with the election, and close the poll at 9.30 p.m. Voting papers were then handed to the contributors ; those who subscriled 5s received one paper; and contributors to the amount of 255! and under were allowed one vote for every 5s subscribed to the institution between the Ist October, 1885, and the 16th March, 1886. 157 voting papers were given ont.

At 9.30 p.m. the Returning Officer opened the ballot-box, and in due time the voting was announced by him as follows: William Morris ... 110 Heniy Burger ... 108 George Voysey ... 106 Frank Payne 100 Louis Ziegler ... ... 96 John Wooldridge ... 93 Charles Plarris ... 85 The voting papers were filled up as follows :—73 for six candidates, 21 for five, 20 for four, 10 for three, 16 foi two, whilst 17 voting papers had one name only written njion them; thus making in all a total of 157 votes. The first meeting of the new Trustees is appointed to be held this evening, at eight o'clock.

Wooldridge 13 meetings Voysey ... ... 13 Rudkiu ... ... 12 Burger ... ... 11 Wildridge.. ... 10 Hopo ... 10 Morris ... 9 Ziegler ... ... 7 Anderson .. ... 6 Watson ... ... G Burgess ... ... 2 Hannah ... ... 2 Caldwell ... ... 0