HOSPITAL BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 227, 19 January 1911, Page 3

HOSPITAL BOARD

™ MONTHLY MEETING. I The monthly meeting of the Taranaki | Hospital and CharitaWe Aid Board yesterday was attended by Messrs E- C. J. Bellringer (chairman), G. \V. Browne, W. Cutiield, K. Maxwell, .1. Brown, 0. O'Sullivan, J. K. Hill, ]). 1). McDonald, C. Andrews and G. V. late. An apology was tendered for the absence of Mr. MeReynolds. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Dr. Walker wrote applying for leave of absence from his duties as medical superintendent for a period not exceeding ten months from February H), as he was desirous of visiting the Old Country for purposes of further study as well as for family reasons. During Dr. Walker's absence Dr. Blaclcley would be in charge of his private practice, and would have the assistance of Dr. T. A. Milroy, M.8.C.5., L.R.C.P., England. Provision for the carrying on of the professional work of the Board would be made as fol-. lows:—Dr. Wylie to be acting medical superintendent, Dr. Home to be assistant medical ollicer, and Dr. Blaekley to he ollieer in charge of the Old People's Home [and outdoor charitable aid. The X-ray i department, as at present, would be in charge of Dr. Leaf ham. In making the application, Dr. Walker thanked the Board for die unvarying courtesy extended to aim during the Ki years he had been associated with it, and expressed the hope that the present happy relations between the Board and the medical stall' long continue.

The request was unanimously agreed to, the arrangements made by the superintendent being'considered 'quite satisfactory to t ie Board.

A PROTEST. The resolution of the New Plymouth Borough Council protesting against the large extraordinary expenditure proposed by the Board, without details of sueli expenditure and the proposed provision therefor being placed before the contributing bodies, was read, and some discussion followed. -Mr. J. Brown: What are they hitting at? •* The (hairman: Only the usual thing from lc;. ~i bodies. The c.,,;; stated that the mover of the resolution had told him that what he wanted to get at was that the Board should strike its own rate. Mr. Brown: That is outside of our jpowers.

The chairman: Dr. Valintine has stated that tin Council had its own remedy if it thought the Hoard was not carrying out its duties. As regarded the Boaru striking its own rate, that would not be workable, owing to the tremendous amount of clerical assistance and the consequent expenditure. Mr. Andrew.- said he was in favor of a motion to let the letter lie on the table; he .did not see what the Board could do with- it.

-Mr. Maxwell said there was a point that should be made clear, as a wrong | impression had arisen through the term i '•contributing" bodies. The borough and | the county councils were only the mediums for collecting the rates; the ratepayers were really the contributors, and no separate local body had any say unless it voiced the opinion of the ratepayers with whom it was dialing. If any contributing body had a scheme it should be laid before the ratepayers. In the past the hospital rate was added to tlie county rale and wa< collected on their In half, by which there was a saving oi the additional expense that would follow collecting their fractional rate. The chairman: That is absolutely correct.

Mr. Brown: We (Comity Council) do that now.

Mr. O'Sullivan: The Waitara Borough Council and the Clifton County Council pay the contribution out of the general rates.

The chairman: The ratepayers have every confidence in this board." It was astonishing the number ot' people who still thought the Board members were representatives of local bodies instead of (as was the ease) being elected bv the people and working under a separate Act.

llr. Hill: As a mutter of fact, all were re-elected .unopposed except one. The clerk pointed out that a very large number of ratepayers considered they were paying- immense amounts in hospital rale-. He knew of cases where some said the Board got £3 or X.G a year out of them, whereas the real amount was only about half-a-erown. Th:- chairman: Dr. Valintine said he had every confidence in the Board, and he did not consider the expenditure was heavy. If local bodies thought exception should be taken to it, they had their remedy at law. The motion to let the letter lie on the table was then*,,seconded by Mr. McDonald and carried.

THE RECENT COXFEREXCE. His Worship the Mayor forwarded the resolution passed at the meeting of delegates when Dr. Valhitine addressed them.

The chairman said he did not agree with the criticisms of Dr. Valintine as appearing in the Press concerning the conference. He was quite satisfied the conference was going to have a beneficial effect. The clerk of the Waitara Borough Council forwarded the following resolution passed at a meeting of the Council with reference to the conference:—"That provided sufficient support is accorded the scheme, and that the cost to the Council does not exceed that mentioned at the conference, viz., £l3 10s to £ls, the Council is agreeable to join in." The Board will reply that there were no means of anticipating the cost to each contributing body, as the matter was in the hands of Dr. Valintine to assess the same.

MAINTENANCE OF INCURABLES. The secretary of the Stratford Hospital and Charitable Aid Board wrote with reference to the holding of a conference of delegates of the Taranaki, Hawera and Stratford boards to discuss the question of providing: for the maintenance of incurables, and. asking if the Hoard approved of the proposal, and if so that a date be suggested.—lt was resolved that the matter be left to Dr. Valintine to arrange: also that the chairman and Mr. McDonald be delegates to represent the Board.

THE BURDEN OF THE WEAK. Tlie following resolution was received from the North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Hoard:— "flint in view of the increasing burden upon this Board of maintaining degenerates and their offspring, and in view of the danger to the community both from a physiological and moral point of view, this Board urges upon the (lovernment the necessity for the founding of a 'State school for defective girls similar to that for boys at Oamaru, and a State home for women of feeble mind, with power of detention in each case, and that this resolution he treated as a remit to the forthcoming conference, and be forwarded to other boards at once for consideration." The letter stated that the resolution was being forwarded to various boards now, as it appeared to be of sufficient importance to the community to warrant full consideration before being considered by the conference, when it is hoped that some practical suggestion may be made to the Government which will enable the idea contained ia the resolution to be

given effect to by the Legislature.—The matter ivill be considered later. GENERAL. The recommendations of Dr. Walker that Sister Barnitt be appointed n"\U\r sister at a salary of £72. per annum; i that Sistir Turner's salary be raised to i I £OS; and that Sister Harris' salary remain as decided by the Board two months ago, were approved.

The sum of £1!)(5 Os bid, being subsidy of ->U :!d to the £ on £162 His and 24s to the C on £.1!) 4s Cd, has been forwarded by the Treasury. The matter of water supply for the Home was left to the House Committee to arrange. Accounts amounting to about £7OO were passed for payment.