Hospital and Charitable Aid Board.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 261, 3 December 1903, Page 4

Hospital and Charitable Aid Board.

AXN'UAL REPORT OF TOE CHAIRMAN. AN INTERESTING REVIEW. Al tii# annual meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board on JVttd'iiw.Alay, Mr Tiscji, the Ckairman, juiuk- the following interesting r»viw\T on »he year's operations : OVERDRAFT. This board, on coming i»to office Jn December, 11102, found the bank overdraft amounted to £4IOO. HAWERA DISTRICT INSURANCE. Hawera having severed from the U'aianaki district, forming a new 4n;r>pital district, the question at our llrsl meeting was the position of iiiattvrs as regards tile Hawera members' presence on this board, and the payment of subsidy. Air Uovett, the Board's solicitor, was called in, and gave his opinion that members lToin llawera were'not eligible to sit 011 this board, but should constitute the board for the new district. The difficulty was that there was nothing in the Act to say that these new members should ccmbtiiulu the new board. It was finally agieed tlrat a committee of this board meet a committee of the Hawera Board, with a view o# coming to an amicable settlement of the trouble, the result being that after the whole question had been ventilated it was agreed that until 81st March, 1903, the Hawera Hospital ai»tl Charitable Aid Board administer tile affairs of the Hawera district, and submit accounts passed by it for payment to the Taran-aki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board as collecting body, and in the meantime steps to be taken for final adjustment of assets and liabilities between the two- boards. The combined committees held several meetings, when tire following agreement was arrived at :

1. Taran-aki Board to retain the whole of contingent assets situate within the boundaries of its present district at the time of separation.

2. Taranaki Board to pay Hawera Board the sum of £SOO, in full sat--isiactiofe of all claims for exeees of contingent assets. a. Taranaki Board to take over the liquid assets and liabilities, and Hawefu Board to pay Taranaki Hoard the sum o{ £415, as its share •f excess of liabilities over asset*. i. Taranaki Board to pay Hawera Board £75, being amount held in trust for the Hawera grounds. '5. The Old People's Home at New Plymouth., in addition to the Taranaki Boai-d's requirement* for its poor, to lie available and used for accommodation of the usual class of iuiiate* from the Hawera district ; Itut no chronic cases to be sent t*o Hawera. The Hawera Board to pay the Taranaki Board the aggregate cast of each inmate from the Hawera district, including preeent inmates wlio originally came. from wulim the present Hawera district. Ila worn Jloaifi to make progress payments lor such imitates, as from Ist Aj-, il, 1903, at the rate of 10s oath inmate per week, payments to lw marie payable (Quarterly, and final payments to be adjusted at the close ot the linancial year. Owing to no provision being 1 made in the Hospital and Charitable Aid Act, special legislation had to be promoted to give effect to the committee's agreement, each board to pay half share of cost. IIAWEUA COUNTY COUNCIL, CONTRIBUTION. A sum of £llO is owing by the llhwxv u County Council ; the Ha-iv-ra county decline to pay, saying the levy was wrong. Owing to tilt inclusion of part of the new Eginont County, the board's solicitors say the Hawera county is liable and must pay. Voluminous correspondence has passed on I lie subject. The money should have been sued for long . ; go. Including Government frulkiitly, the amount is £220. OLH 1 EOI'LE'S HOME AND TE HEN l;I KEFUGE.

Oil taking oflice, the Board found that there were only 25 inmates in

4he home, whifc tliere were live inmates in the old refuge at Te Henui. Each of these inmates had a separate room, with fireplace, makimj the cost of providing fuel for lires un>J cotl of living considerably high-

er than those at the home ; besides, they were under no proper supervision. Some of Hk! men, being of intemperate habits, were the cause of many u quarrel amongst themselves, and a source of annoyance to the citizens. The boaixl had these men removed to th« home, where they would l.v under the immediate supervision oi Mr l-'arrar. The dininffloom at the home only *atcd 24, and was tmlargwi at u trifling cost 3>y removing a partition, antl the loom now seats 34. The by-laws ware printed in large type, and placed in tlw rooms. We men were kii'ormed tlmt any breach of thie rulos would be punisltablo, tire result being that with few exceptions geod discipline and t«>der has been maintained. The uiiii have taken an in-•tvres-t in tile Hoimj, atKl tile grounds that were previously neglected have bcea mails to prtxluee an a-li-undimce ■ef v&getables of all sorts. After the removal of the inmates from T« Heiiui, the question arose as to what u*e should be made ol the old refuge. Tlie building was aiected by the Government in 1849. The board left the matter in my hands, and 1 approached the Boreuß'li Council with a vi«w of getting the council to t«Lk« orer tia> Te jHcnui property, -ami give the board in exchange the six suctions k»own ,u< lite hospital ground*. The Borough Council agreed to the proppsal Bud a local liil. was passed by Parliament, giving effect to u4e ext liana v - J lie board uitd the citizen« of New Plymouth are to be congratulated on acquiring this valuable uddition to their grounds for reiication purposes, and the thanks oi iiio board are due to Mr E. M. Mmitli. M.11.R., for getting the local i.iil through Parliamunt. OI'TIXfOK KELJEF.

There am at present four families in the tooroug-li of New Plymouth, ami eight families in the country district, totalling <SO children and IS adults, receiving- outdoor relief, costing the board £.'} Sn per week. I would like members to enquire into cases cases in their districts. It an accepted fact that pauperism glows by giving too freely, ami badJv administered outdoor relief merely intensities tlie evil. tHILUUKX L'NDKIt THE BOARD'S CONTROL. During thu year, in company with !Mr J-ippur, the secretary, I visited the chiklivu who arc under the board's control, resulting in making Ix'tter arraignments lor their caie aiul comfort, ami in Several cases •etTicting a saving to the Board, There are at present eleven children iind'f tht? board's control, casting lS<i jmji' wee!;. J'rom personal \isite made, J am satisfiud tlie children are 111 good homes ami \vell oared for. BOARD'Ji OFFICE. Tlie board has now secured offices of its own, ami I think mem'ber.s will JinJ that this arrangement will .work mors satisfactorily. Mr Lepj»'f Ims provud himself an murgetic secretary, his long experience as a member on the board making him acquainted with all the details of the office. During the year he has coimidoraibly reduced the outstanding accounts. lniTing collectad £llß3, as aguiust JC collected the previous ;. ear. IVLAXTING AND BEAUTIFYING THE GROUNDS. The work of beautifying the pi ounds has be®n don# with the proceeds of a ball and voluntary canfcritfntiQns. The money has been

spent iu making concrete steps, "and channelling l , planting, and grassing in front oi hospital and nurses' home, making ornamental lake and j fount-am, erecting seats, and the work is still going on without cost to the ratepayers. With permission of the new board, I propose holding a garden party in the hospital grounds about February next, for tiie purpose of raising funds to further improve the grounds. IMPROVEMENT TO HOSPITAL. The hospital has been renovated, tlw building receiving two coats of paint inside and outside. A new hot water apparatus has been- installed, an-d a portion of the verandah glazed, proving a boon by pro>tecting patients from wind and raiii. 1 should like to see a sitting room or large day room added to the hospital, lor the use of convalescent patients, and sug'gt-st that- the new board obtain plans, with estimated cost of a 100111. IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.

During the year several important questions came before the board, and were dibcussed, namely, the reducing of hospital fees to Friendly Societies' patients, the erection of a cottage hospital for Stratford, amd the subsidising of two medical men to resfde in the inland districts of Taitmaki.

The question of a cottage hospital at Stratford, and the procuring of horse ambulances for the coast and inland districts, and the making of arrangements with th» St. John Ambulance Association for them to visit, inland centres with a view of establishing branches of the brigade, and to instruct settlers in the ""first aid" ambulance work, are questions of importance that I recommend to the favourable consideration of the new boarcl. MARRIED COUPLE.

The appointment of Mr and Mrs Dawson as gardener and laundress iu giving the 80-ard every satisfa* lion. Th 6 care and comfort of the inmates in the home are well looked after by Mr and ISlrs Fnrrar, and the success which has attended the work oi tha home has been due to them, and they are doing all in their power to make the home bright and cheerful. CONCLUSION. Members of the board will rp:nembei that I reluctantly accepted the chairmanship, a position of considerable importance, carrying big responsibilities ; but Ijaving accepted the position, I toave endc.ayoured to ritu-dy the inteies-ts of the ratepayers by making myself acquainted with all tlii.' details of the work, and I think it m«,st be admitted that the condition of things the board's fiaances have considerably improved during the term of the present board the bank overdraft being now £953 6s. 3d.

Members have shown their confidence by adopting every recommendation that I have brought forward, and J wish to heartily thank the memters for the kindness and' r.oasideration that they have always shown me.

Mr llackay, in moving the adoption of the report, added that the thanks ol' the board be extended to Mr Tisch fpr the invaluable work be had done in th/» /jj teres ts of the institution and the ratepayers. Mr Andrews seconded, and with Messrs Li aide t and I'igott, referred in high terms to the ability shown by tlio chairman in the management of hospital matters, They urged that Mr Tisch might see his way to continue in the position.

The motion was carried, and the chairman returned thanks for the kindly regiai'ds expressed by members. He had taken a "groat interest in the work, and as loi}g as ho Wijjs connected with the institution he would endeavour to conserve the interests ot ratepayers. It w;)s his desire, also, to transform the ji rounds into one of the most beautiful in the colony, having the natural to work upon. ANNUAL MEETING.

Tlio statutory meeting of the «ew board was held on Wednesday, members present -being : Messrs G. Tisch, R. H. Pigott, C. Andrews, ,J. liiown, H. N. Ijiandet, W. J. Gray, J. Hine and J, Mackay. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN". On the motion at Mr JJardet, seconded by Mr I'igott, Mr Tisch was unanimously re-elected chairman. DATE .OF MEETING. It was decided that t, I ).'-' usual meetings of the board lje held pji the third Monday in each nip-nth, the next meeting to bo held on Dec. 21. COMMITTEES. Messrs Tisch, Cock, and McDonald were appointed a house committee, and it was .decided that any member sign cheques tt'ilf; (he chairman. The chairman am* 1 Mj- ( 1 ork were, authorised to fix -the board's seal to contracts. The quorum was fixed at five. TENDERS. Taaders for supplies wera accepted, as follows Veale wiji Son, groceries ; J. W«st, broad ; Sole Bros., meat ; Clemow, ..milk ; Go Id water Bros., wises, spirits, etc. ; Siorey and Son, drap«*y ; p. XJ, Ross, boots ; Ward and Son, wood and coal ; M. E. Clow, funeral furnishings. The board then adjourned.