HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 22, 20 November 1900, Page 2

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The Hospital and Charitable Aid Board met on Monday. Present: Messrs. Oorkill (chairman), Oliver, Stewart, Smart, Sutton, Bellringer, Dingle, McDonald, Scott, McOullum, Wilkinson, and Lepper. A cordial welcome was accorded Mr. Jas. Bellringer on his again taking his ; seat after his recent trip to England, The House Committee reported that Miss Meta O'Brien had been received . &'i a probationer; that Miss Campbell's , name had been placed next on the list ■ of probationers; that Miss Ross' name 1 be added to the list of probationers ; t that Miss Holford had resigned her E position as nurse; that the police ex- - pauses in the case of the late—Wilson r be paid; that Dr. McGregor's letter, r with Dr. Leatham's and Mr. Sander- ?, son's recommendations, be referred to b the Building Committee with power to • deal with the same; that Mr. Bell-1 1 ringer be added to the Housa Committee. i The Chairman, in moving the adopt tion of the report, refemd to the a probationers' list, and stated that some [ of the candidates sent in their names Q for fun, and some had made other > arrangements. The Committee had 0 gone through the list and had placed e Miss, O'Brien at the hospital, with e satisfactory results so far. Wilson's g case, he said, was that upon which the s Stratford press had made such unjust comment, There was at least one brother in a position to pay, and it 5 would only be the proper course toj « make him do so. As to Dr. McGregor's < f letter, the doctor had seen the plans for 't the new refuge and had written stating i- that the plans were apparently already 3 adopted and a tender accepted. He " pointed out, however, several matters 'j which required altering. Looking ii twenty years ahead, Dr. McGregor court sidered it was nothing less than absurd *• to put such a small building on such an urea of land. 1 Mt;. Stewart inquired how the pron bationers' list stood. [J The Chairman: The names were i. taken in rotation. Telegrams wero • *ent to 8 or 10 on the list, and either s no answer had been received or tho !j applications were withdrawn, i. The report was adopted. The Hawera House Committee re , ported that a donation had been res reived from Mr. McCarthy of £\ s 12s a 7d, and another of 10s from Mr. B.'oa- • uerhasset. They recommended thu " I the borough water supply ba carried J into the hospital. They also reported ejon cases for charitable aid and ou other 1 routine matters. 1 Mr. Sutton formally move! the adoption of the report, which, after som>> i discussion on the question of remission • of charges, was adopted. s A letter was read from the Opunake Town Board requesting that a collage hospital be established at Opunake The Chairman said that judging by the wording ci tho letter it would seem *s if tho Opunake B rard hardly expected anything further would hi iJq>ie. Mr. Stawatt considered there worn - other places more in need of a hospital • than Opunnko. ,' The .Chairman said he recognised the ; isolated position of Opunake, and hj» , inquired if there was a doctor there who . was prepared to do the same as at . Inglewood and other place". , Mr. Stewart said he could not answer ; that question, The Chairman thereupon suggested - holding the matter over for inquiries to , be made. s Mr. McOullam said something ought - to be done, as there was no easy transit r for patients, who had to be brought 3 over 30 or 40 miles of rough road. He considered it was one of the most ; urgent cases for relief that the Board . had had to deal with, and thereforj no , delay should take place. He did not ) advocate a Cottage Hospital, bnt some , provision for treating urgont cases. Mr. Smart suggested a field hospital such as those established in South . Africa. Mr. McDonald thought the same committee should report on the matter - as had dealt with the other similar - applications. f Mr. Dingle differed with Mr. McOullum as to tho distance and sta l e of ) the roads over which patients had to r be carried, It was only twenty miles from Eltbam to Opunake, and a goo 1 , jroad. f The Chairman: Twenty-eight miles. Mr. Dingle maintaned his figures a were correct, and ho intended to stick to them in spite of the Chairman's r challenge, though he only made uso of ) them to show that Opunake was not - more isolated than other places, and not nearly us much so as places np the . East Road. Ho would support tho , same conveniences being granted to : Opunake as to other places, Mr. Stewart moved to refer the - matter to Air. McC'ullurn and himself ) to report upon. ) Mr. McOullum moved to refer it to ) the committee already got up I Mr. Bellringer said the Board were ■ entering on a bigger businesi than they first anticipated. Looking along tho > railway line there were three or four ■ places wanting hospital accommodation 1 and byo and bye Mimi and Ngatimaru would put in a claim and they were far more in of the accommodation : than Stratford, as it was in these plaocs that accidents mostly occurred. Ho i was not going to oppose what had al- . ready been douo, but, ho considered! j that to liuvo a,succession of hospitals 1 along the line at Inglewood, Stratford, I f Jiilchain'and Hawera, while the out-It ' lyiuj; districts were unprovided for! ( ; was a very dangerous policy. Ho ad-. ( vised postponing the matter until aftor j the elec iou of the now Board, as it could not properly bo dealt with by I tho present Hoard. • I s MY..M<;Gui.'.;iu withdrew his luo'ion. : « >»r. • ellr . g«r moved i hut tho whole j* question of providing local huspital ' ttf-commoiiution ho dele -rod till after 0 ; tli9 «Uj(iUyu u£ tlw ww teid., »

In reply to Mr. Sutton, Mr, Bell- j ringer said he doubted whether the Board could legally do what Dr. Valintine wished, as, praotically, if Dr. Valintine's suggestions were carried out he would have became the Board'* I servant.

Mr. Stewart objected to a postponement. Me w«a averse to the practice' of postponing matters to a new Board. Mr. Bellringer's amendent was carried by 7 to 5.

On tbe motion of the Chairman it was decided that D. Orange be notified that |if his account was not paid by the 30th inst., it would be placed in the hands of the Board's solicitor. A letter from Jas. Fortune relative to the account for his maintenance in the Hospital was referred to tho House Committee. ,

Considerable discussion took place over a letter from the Rev. H. Mason relative to a boy boarded out at Okato. Eventually the matter was postpened l for further inquiry.

Several charitable aid cases were dealt with.

A final payment of £ll3 on account] of the Hawera Hospital, and a irst payment of £7OO en account of the new Refuge, were passed. Accounts were passed. ; The appointment of Mr. Skene as wardsman was confirmed.

The question of drainage for the new Refuge was mooted, and Mr. Bellringer explained the system adopted in England, the tank system, which was not only inexpensive but effective. The Board rose.