HOSPITAL BOARDS' CONFERENCE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9166, 9 June 1908, Page 5

HOSPITAL BOARDS' CONFERENCE.

Per Press Association. Wellington, June 0. The Hospitals and Charitable Aid Boards’ Conference, opened by Mr Fowlds to-day, was largely attended. Dr. Valin tine, Inspector- General of Hospitals, in his address said there was need for reform in the present law governing the Hospital and Charitable Add system. What they wanted was a system that would make itself felt in all parts of the Dominion, not only as at present in districts surrounding 'towns. Each district should be self contained, and ia each there should be;—(1) The base hospital; (2) A subsidiary or cotjage hospital; 3) An infectious diseases ward ; (4) Consumptive annex ; (5) Old People's Home; (G) Chronic and incurable wards; (7) A system of poor relief, co-operating with private charity, on the Elberfieid system ; (8) A system of district nursing, which would supply the link in the chain between the base hospital and the bank blocks. Hospital districts would of necessity have to lie fairly lame, and it would be necessary for Boards to have under their control Charitable Aid as weil as Hospitals. The Chairman of the Board should bo elected for three years, and the position should be honorary. There were igood reasons why the appointments of matrons should be under departmental control. Dr Valintino reviewed the provisions ct the Government Bill, which has been in circulation during the recess and said that the proposed gradual reduction of subsidies was directed more at indiscriminate expenditure on outdoor charitable relief, than at expenditure on hospitals. ‘Mr Fowlds in his opening address .said that Government’s Bill was in. no sense a party measure, but one demanded by public opinion. He quoted figures to show that while the population of. the Dominion had not doubled, expenditure on hospitals and charitable aid had nearly trebled. The increase in charitable aid had gone beyond the bounds of reason, despite the prosperity of tire last 12 years. He hoped one result of their deliberations would bo a reduction in this cost, especially on outdoor relief, which could not but have a bad effect on the Dominion, at large.