Hospital Board.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 161, 12 July 1904, Page 4

Hospital Board.

The laranaki Hospital Hoard met yesterday, P resent . R ( , () « (chairman), McDonald, Pigott Ann \ Liardet - Gray/ciifl. lime and Mack-ay, OHDINABY BUSINESS. to Leatham asked that a fence be f.! 8 b> " ldiaig -' 0f ! c oursc., be would like a new morgue altogether, —ilie fence will be erected. ! matter of frequent arrival 0 f pa . tients from outside districts Mr Andrews thought that oulside patients should pay the full cost of their maintenance. Mr Gray thought they should be kept out altogether, and steps should be taken to have the Old Men s Home administered for its rightful district, instead of beine a refuge for the whole of TaranakTs indigent old people. Dr. Leatham said there was no doubt that m a ny people came to the hospital from outside districts in order to get good and cheap doctoring. He thought it would be a mistake to exclude them, but thev must be made to pay full rates of' maintenance.

Mr Mackay asked if these patients were able to pay. The Chairman said that in two Mtham cases there had been no means. Mr Liardet moved that in cases iroin outside full cost of maintenance bo charged. It might be that many people thought, and rightlv, too, that the medical attendance here was superior to that in other cases.

Mr Pigott seconded. Mr Cliff suggested a committee to go into the whole matter. Mr Gray moved a n amendment that the board do not admit any patients from outside the contributing areas. It seemed that the Hawera district, whilst running a hospital on a rate of Be-venpence, was throwing its indigent patients to Xew Plymouth. The motion was not seconded. Mr Mackay thought information should be obtained from other hospital authorities before this plan was adopted. This course was adopted, and a committee of the chairman and Messrs Liardet and Gray and the house committee was appointed to Inquire and report at next meeting. Mr Mackay reported on a Stratford case for reduction of fees. The usual reduction of liftcen shillings weekly was made in this (duddon's) and Mrs Thomas' case. Mr Farrar reported on the Old People's Home that during the month two males had been admitted and one had left. There were "now 35 maleg and one female in the institution. The discipline and lujulth had ijjen good. One inmate had left, expressing his determination to work An ox-patient in the hospital wrote that he was unable to pay his account, and recommended charging it to his son at Urenui,.—No action'was taken.

Messrs Martin and Atkinson, solicitors, of Welling'ton, asked if a patient named Wail had loft a watch and jewellery in the hands of the. hospital authorities.—He had not not done so, neither bad ho left the

, wherewithal to pay his account. ► Messrs Oovett and Qiiilliain wrote [ that sections in lnglewood had not ' yet been vested in the board, und f were now in tbe position of "Jlahomet's collin." Another effort will be made to have f tfu> reserves vested in the board. Mr, Mackay asked as to the progress ol the consumptive annexe 1 movement* The Chairman said he understood DiV Leatham was receiving good support* Dr, Valinline wub to give a lecture to ladies on July 22ud, and th» Cornwall Family was giving u concert which should" result in an u.d-1 dition ol £SO to the funds. ' Messrs Govett and Quilliam wrote .with regard to the Eginont county. It .was decided to ask Mr Samuel While in Wellington, to interview the Minister on the matter. Constable Kyan forwarded an account in connection with the burial expenses of a man who was killed by a landslip at Tututawa, ami another who was found dead in the Stratford cemetery. The secretary of the North Canterbury Hospital Hoard suggested a conference of hospital and charitable and boards' representatives on tho question of poor laws. The Chairman said that he had i telegraphed his concurrence in the i plan. He suggested that Mr Jtackay . should represent the board. , Mr Mackay was appointed as tho i delegate to the conference, and asked ( that members should give him all in- f lormation in their possession t The Chairman said the gardener c and lus wife (laundress) had asked i tor nn increase in wages. They were 1 at present receiving £IOO « year and free house-rent, firewood, and vegeton f- S thought they TCre E«fflwentlj. paid now, though he must re- n mark that they both had to work, li a*d the woman hod to work hard h

everv day of the week, doing the laundry 'work lor both institutions. An assistant was provided by the board.

Members thought they wore well paid, and some considered the gardener had "good times." Mr Mackay movod and Mr Cray seconded that the hoard cannot see its wav to increase the ealury. Mr (.''lift' moved that the salary be increased by JCI.O a year.

Mr Cray thought this a dangerous motion. liaising one salary menu raising the lot. If the couple were not satisfied with their position they should give the board an opporumity of replacing them. There was no seconder to the amendnieiu, and Ihe motion was carried.

Mr Liur-rtcl's action in obtaining medical advice before, sending a Whangamouiona patient to the hospital was continued.

Mr Liardet complained that the cabman who took the patient and a friend named Wilderinoth to the hos-i pital from Ihe New Plymouth railway station had charged ten shillings.

The chairman undertook to make inquiries. Mr Andrew* moved that the chairman be instructed to proceed to Wellington to oppose the Stratford Hospital Hill in its present form. Mr Brown seconded pro forma. At 1.10 n.m. the board adjourned to 2.15 p.m. (Jm resuming, the consideration *f Mr Andrews' motion was taken.

Mr Gray said he was in favour of the motion, and thought that the chairman should be supported by resolutions from local bodies interested.

The Chairman (Mr Cock) said he had no desire to go to Wellington on this matter, but was going down next day. The question was whether the bill should be allowed to take its chance, or that someone should attend the Local Bills Committee's meetings. Mr M'.ckay said the motion was ludicrous. Why should a man go to Wellington to oppose, the bill at the ratepayers' expense ? Mr Liardet asked what there wa.s to prevent the StratforcUmcl from sending Messrs Mackay and Hine and himself at the ratepayers' expense to forward the measure.

Mr Brown saw nothing ludicrous in the motion. The board had by the resolution of that morning implied its opposition to the bill, and there was nothing ludicrous in following up that motion by sending a delegatcj to Wellington. Mr Hine moved an amendment that the chairman and Mr Liardet be Undelegates. There was no seconder.

Mr Andrews, in replying, said his motion was not ludicrous, and lit was not going to be laughed out oi it by Mr Mackay or anyone else. On a division the motion wa.s carried by seven votes (the chairman and Messrs McDonald, I'igott, Andrews, Brown, Gray and Clill) to three (Messrs Liardet, Hine and Mackay.

Mr Andrews moved that a reduction of sixpence a day in hospital fees be made to members of the Taranaki United- Friendly [Societies' Association.

The motion was seconded by Mr Cliff, -and after discussion was* lost. Ayes : The chairman and Messrs Cliff Urown, and Andrews. Noes ■ Me«i"McDonald, I'igott, Liardet, GraV Hine, and Mackav.

The question of the dispensing coni*" lj, : ol, e ht "I>. to. Leatham and Mr Peed being present. The chairman said that the first but in 18'J, it was reduced to £lO per month.

The secretary said that Uio conHut t was subject to determination on three months' notice Mr Toed said that'the contract was not sufficient to induce a chemist to stock large supplies of wadding, Hut, etc. Since the contract was taken seven years ago the number of patients had been doubled. Ilia firm had not been charging for lint, wool, or linseed meal for some time, but this arrangement wus hardly pots'.ble under a new contract. To Mr Gray Mr Teed said that the dispensing now was a much more serious matter than when lie lissl took the contract. A qualified dispenser was now necessary. To the Chairman : The bottles at the hospital belonged to the board.

The Chairman said that tenders had been called on account of the suggestions of other chemists, who urged their claims for consideration. He agreed that the contract should be for two or three years. Mr Teed gave an instance of having run short of lint, and shipments being delayed. It had 'been quoted to him at Is lOd f.0.b., Wellington, but purchasing locally it had cost 'As (id per lb.

The chairman : Is that all the protit a chemist gets ? Dr iieatham thought thcro was not much profit in the contract. He suggested that before calling tenders a schedule should lie prepared by the secretary, surgeon and house committee.

Mr Gray moved that tho presont contract continue to the end of the board's contract year, on Decembei 31st; that the contract be for two years; and that the housu committee and tho surgeon prepare tho spe cifications,

Tho chairman neconded, and the motion was carried.

Accounts were passed for pavment : Hospital £lll7 l?s 9(1, charitaib'le aid £lsl 13s lid.

Mr Hine questioned the item "Gov ett and Quiitium los 10d."

'Die chairman said this was charged for procuring a copy of the Stratlord Hospital Hill a t his (Mr Cocks) request.

Mr Gray mov"! thai the Wcst'fum- "! at Inglewood be struck oil the chantablo aid list from the end oi the present month.

Mr Mackay seconded. Mr Brown considered this measure too drasuc. It would only mean another application lor relief The recip,ent was a young widow, able though unwilling to work. An amendment that the mallei o u relerred to Mei«ir<t u,.