PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL.

Southland Times, Issue 651, 1 April 1867, Page 2

PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL.

A meeting relative to the transfer; of the management of the Provincial Hospital from the Government to the public, was held on Thursday evening in the Council Hall, Kelvin-street. The hon. Dr. Menzies in the chair. About thirtygentlemen were present. ■A , slight delay I occurred in consequence of the minutes having been mislaid >— the . chairman^ however explained that as the meeting was an adjourned one, business might be gone on with in the meantime. He found rrom the list that five additional contributors of each were entered and stated (at the particular request of of the Treasurer) that gentlemen who had not subscribed and were present could qualify thems6lves to take part in the proceedings by subscribing ML each. ; v--. .v „j.-, .• •-.:-.■ - . ■ ■••• ■'- ■■' r Mr Haee intimated to the meeting the resignation of Mr Calderas a -member of the Hospital Committee. After some conversation on a point of order it was decided that Mr G. Reese, for whom and Mr Calder on the firsts ballot the number -of votes were : equal, had been elected to .fill the vacant seat. The minutes of the previous meeting were now read and confirmed. . The Chaieman said the first business of the meeting would be to receive the report of the committee in pursuance of Mr Macptiersoii's motion, passed on Tuesday evening — "That this meeting adjourn till Thursday evening, when the"! committee will bring up a report on the whole question, and the general meeting can decide upon the question of medical attendance." ■ i - Mr Watson, on the part of the committee, explained that circumstances had prevented the preparation of a report on the whole, "question. MrXuMSDEN said the committee, after a discussion on the whole question, did not think it advisable to re-open it, the public having already expressed a desire to take over the institution. The committee then appointed a deputation to wait on three medical gentlemen to ask "'.'. their services and advice. Drs Deck and ;! Grigor expressed themselves willing ,to meet the wishes of the committee and act as honorary medical attendants to the Hospital for a short time — although they thought that the Government and committee would find themselves able to pay. Dr Monckton declined to act as ah; ? honorary medical attendant. The question then was — should Drs Grigor" and Deck be appointed honorary medicalofii r cers provisionally until the committee was more fully informed on the details. It was absolutely required to make immediate v provision as they were to take the management next week. As the neces- ? " sities of the case would be met by such a course he (Mr L.) would propose " that Drs Deck and Grigor be appointed as honorary medical officers to attend upon, the hospital and lunatic patients during a short period to be agreed upon between those gentlemen and the committee." The committee had well considered the matter, and after visiting the Hospital believed there would be little difficulty in carrying it on at the present time with, an honorary staff of medical men. Dr Monckton pointed out that thegovernment already paid a medical attendant for the gaol, police and lunatics.! That meeting had, therefore, nothing to. do with the latter. .-■•.. i The Rev. Mr Tannee wished to know' if Mr Lumsden's statement were to be taken as the report of the committee. He was replied to affirmatively. Mr Wood wished to know if the medical officers were to be paid ? The Chairman again read the motion. The Eey. Mr Tanner— The report appears to take for granted that the public is willing to accept the transfer of management. Now I think at least one half of the public is against that course, and it appears they are to be forced into taking the Hospital over. As, however, no provision has been made for its maintenance, I think something should be done to carry it on till the next meeting- [ of the Council, and will therefore move ' " that considering that the late meeting of the Provincial Council has made no sufficient provision for carrying on the Hospital, and that its support is therefore left with the public, the Hospital Com-.: mittee should carry on the management of the institution without making any , immediate change in the medical department, and the present Resident Surgeon be aocepted as the medical officer of the'"' 1 Hospital." : : ; ■: Mr Reynolds, in seconding the amendment said it, appeared to him that the gist of the report consisted in the dismissal of the Resident Surgeon; and the appointment of two honorary medical attendants. He thought in- the first - place they should be well assured that a resident surgeon could be dispensed with, and secondly whether they would get equally effective assistance from honorary attendants. The action of the committee appeared somewhat precipitate. No comprehensive report had yet been-prepared to show the position of the ; * institution, and to act hastily in the manner proposed, by Mr Lumsden. , ap« peared almost illiberal. (Applause.) ■ -.... Mr Reese wished 1 to know if any provision had; been made for a dispenser. It was pointed out by one or twq v mem<« bers of committee that it was a matter of derail for them to deal with.. Mr Wood asked whether the meeting' at that moment was one of the commit-., tee or contributors. The committee wera 1 sitting round the table, and thecbn*^ tributors and public round the room,— -if it; were a committee meeting he would not of course suggest anything, but if apublio meeting 1 he thought a sugges* twa ftow anyone might be weivsd^

The Chaieman explained ; that the meeting was a general one — adjourned from the previous .Tuesday, when a committee had been instructed to bring up a report. Mr Ejngsland said it seemed to him a question whether the subscribers were to nave a voice in the matter at all. By the action taken on the previous evening twenty men had virtually disfranchised the other subscribers. Mr EetnoiiDs explained that in seconding the Eev. Mr Tanner's amendment he quite agreed with the principle of the management of the Hospital being placed in the hands of the public. But he thought it would be injudicious to make such a radical reform just then.. The contributors ought to be regarded as the shareholders in a company— their opinion and advice should be_ taken. He repeated that the action of the committee was* too precipitate and thought that if it went forth that they were appointed one evening and dismissed the resident surgeon the next it would not have a good effect. Mr Lttjmhden", referring to the remarks of the last speaker, said the committee did not dismiss the resident surgeon, but assumed that no provision for the remuneration of his services had been made. They had simply looked at the question as one of economy, feeling that the .£IOO per quarter subsidy would not be enough to warrant them in continuing the present expenditure. So far as they had yet gone the public showed every sign of supporting the movement, having subscribed over .£2OO in a fortnight. That did not show, as a reverend gentleman had said, that the public were unwilling to accept the responsibility, but the reverse, a readiness that held out great encouragement for the future. The object the committee had in view was — as medical attendance had to be provided— to ask the contributors to appoint surgeons. It was quite useless to have a committee and bind it over as contemplated by the Eev. Mr Tanner's motion. That gentleman had acted as though no committee existed, and that all were on a par at the meeting. Mr Crouch said the question was simply one of retrenchment. By accepting the honorary services of medical gentlemen they would save from .£3OO to i&iOO per annum, yet gentlemen had thought fit to propose that no change be made. If the business of a bank fell off they diminished the number of clerks, &c, and the same course must be adopted towards a public institution. He quite agreed that they had performed a duty by expressing their views. If what was proposed were not acceded to it would cripple the action of the committee, -which desired to apply the funds contributed with the same care as if it were , their own. Mr Eetetolds wished to point out that Mr Crouch's illustration was not quite applicable. The one was a business matter, the other referred to a charity. In the absence of a resident medical man a patient suffering from some severe accident might be taken to the Hospital and die before the honorary attendants could be called in. Mr Ceotjch questioned whether those who would avail themselves of the Hospital had a right to be placed in a better position than any private person employing his own medical • attendant would be in the event of an accident. It was simply a matter of economy — if the committee were in a position to do bo they would keep a resident surgeon. Mr Ham asked who, in the absence of a resident surgeon was to be the head of the establishment. They would have to pay somebody, and have a dispenser too, for it would oe no economy to send every prescription to the chemists. Mr "Wood regretted the action of the previous meeting in making defaulters of the subscribers who were not present. For his own part he shouli return three or four subscriptions he had received with a copy of the day's paper as sufficient explanation. If that evenings proceedings were to be taken as a sample the movement would not go on well. He was not yet satisfied whether the meeting was one of contributors, or of committee (the j chairman explained that it was one of contributors.) The committee should have drawn up a proper report for the guidance of the meeting. For himself in the absence of more definite information he should decline to vote one way or the other. Mr Pratt said that nobody was shut j out by the meeting referred to. It was j useless to talk about the 200 persons excluded — the ordinance was to blame — they simply went according to its provisions. . As to the remarks about the committee, they had not much time to do anything. To settle the question he (Mr P.) would move that the services of the resident surgeon be retained foe one month. j Mr itVKSDTmf defended the action of! the committee and justified the apparent haste by the fact that time pressed owing to the actioi of the government. It was & pity, he said, that so many gentlemen should endeavor to put lions in the way of the honorable path the committee desired to follow. The Sev. Mr Tan2?er asked and obtained leave to withdraw his amendment. Mr Macpheeson spoke at some length against the obstructiveness of some gentlemen present that evening, and intimated that if the management were not tobe left in the hands of the committee it would be taken as a mark of want of confidence. Mr Watsob", referring to bis caveat at tae previous meeting said that on farther consideration be had decided to resign bis seat on the committee. A warm discussion, in which several gentlemen took part, followed. Ultimately Mr Pratt's amendment was put and lost, the numbers being 3 for and 6 tgKWBt. ..... . MpL^msdbn's motion then put, ta4 ewjied oa the voices,

Explanations on both sides were entered into, when it was very generally expressed that no want of confidence was felt in the committee. Mr Kingsland called attention to the fact that no definite resolution of subscribers, or contributors, to take over the Hospital had yet been passed. He held that until such a resolution had been carried, the Hospital could not be said to have passed into the hands of the committee. After a vote of thanks to the Chairman the meeting adjourned to the next evening at half-past seven o'clock.

At the adjourned meeting on !Friday, the attendance was about the same as on the previous evening. ' On the motion of Mr Hare, Dr Menzies was called to the chair. The first business brought before the meeting was the election of a member of committee in the room of Mr "Watson, resigned. Voting papers having been made up, a ballot was taken, with the following result: — John Eoss, 9 ; E. Tapper, 6 j Eogers, 2 ; H. T. Eoss, 1 ; W. "Wood, 1. Mr J. Eoss was accordingly declared duly elected. Mr Lttmsden then moved, " That viewing the circumstances under which the first election of the committee took place, in accordance with the provisions of Hospital Ordinance, it is considered desirable that a fresh election should take place, within three months from this date." Seconded by Mr Crouch. Mr Ham moved as an amendment, which was seconded by Mr Eogers, " That the committee be requested to call a general meeting of contributors within six months, and then report upon what they have done, and future prospects." He thought three months far too short a time to be considered a fair trial or test of the efficiency of the committee of management. It was barely enough to permit of their getting into working order. If his amendment was carried, it would allow a reasonable time in which to see the working of any changes the committee might introduce in the conducting of the Hospital, and they would then be in a better position to present a report to the contributors, or submit themselves for re-election. After several other gentlemen had spoken to the amendment, Mr Ltjmsden commented on the very different tone of the remarks offered by the various speakers to that exhibited at the two preceding meetings. Then, most of the speakers seemed to insinuate that the members of committee had obtained their seats contrary to the wishes of the contributors — had in fact forced themselves into office ; now, however, it was quite the other way, and the office was almost being forced upon them. In consequence of the opposition that was experienced, he and several others had intimated their intention of immediately resigning their seats, but it was ultimately agreed, that as a resolution such as he had proposed would probably meet the views of all parties, and pass without opposition, they should retain their seats for the time. At the same time he believed it would be but fair and honest to give the contributors an early opportunity of electing a new committee. Mr Ceouch said he believed the committee had the full confidence of the i contributors, notwithstanding all that been said, but as by the end of three months the number of contributors would likely be increased considerably, it was I but right they should have the opportunity of endorsing the present elections, or of appointing other men to manage the matter ; at the same time he felt assured, from the earnest and hearty manner in which the committee were going about the work intrusted to them, that they would be re-elected at the end of the three months. The amendment was then put, and lost, on the voices. On a show of hands being called for on the original motion, there appeared : — Ayes, 10 ; noes, 4. Several gentlemen having expressed an opinion that the assiduous services of the honorary secretary should be suitably acknowledged by the committtee. Mr Peatt moved, and Mr Smyth seconded," That this meeting, recognising the eminent services of Mr J. J. Ham as hon. secretary, desire the committee to mark its sense of his merits." Carried unanimously. In reply to the customary vote of thanks to the Chairman, Dr Menzies expressed his regret that circumstances prevented him from taking part in a movement, inaugerated 4 under such favorable auspices, but they might rest assured that the institution should ever have his active sympathy and assistance as occasion and opportunity might offer The meeting then broke up.