THE POWERS AND SAMOA. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1879, 16 April 1889, Page 3

THE POWERS AND SAMOA.

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

[New Zealand Herald]. “On February 14tli the steamer Garondelet sailed from New York for Samoa direct, with 133 cases of rifles, and a large quantity of shells and ammunition that had been brought over from Antwerp for the use of the German ships-of-war at Samoa.” This is one item of news by the mail just received. Another is that Herr Steubel, the root and foundation of the trouble in Samoa, is to replace • the less “ cool ” Dr. Knappe, and a bird that five warships are to leave the Mediterranean squadron for Samoa. How will the late disaster affect the policy implied by this intelligence? Will the rifles be used to arm the aatives round the German puppet Tamasese while their countrymen are' deprived of all opportunity of adding to their stores? Will f Herr Steubel change his spots, and the leopard prove a lamb? Will the men-of-war lie idle in the Harbor of Apia during the long, safe season that they have before them ? Will England continue to stand quietly by and see this brave, kindly, little people, to whom she carried Christianity, reduced to subjection under the hardest and most selfish rule that Europe has witnessed since the days of the declining Roman Empire ? And are the colonies to sit quietly by while there is established in their midst a great armed with its fleets and arsenals, and drilled and disciplined natives, in the line of communication with San Francisco, Panama, and the projected Nicaraguan Canal? In presence of facts the diplomatic professions of peace and good-will, with which Prince Bismarck and his son may think fit to adorn their White Book of translucent truth, will have hut little weight. . ; . Will England still give to Prince Bismarck her tacit support ? That is the question which most nearly concerns us in the colonies, and we cannot but regard with profound misgiving the way in which German diplomatists have been allowed to mix up “ foreign ” with “ colonial ” .relations in their conferences with Salisbury in this matter. Meanwhile we can but look on, and, with the Samoans, thank God that America too is a great Pacific Power.

The monthly meeting of the S.O. Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held on Friday. Present—His Worship the Mayor (chairman), Dr Lovogrove, Messrs J. Jackson, P. Slee, W. M. Moore, and R. A. Barker.

Correspondence was dealt with as follows :

From the Chairman of the Geraldine Road Board, in reply to n request from this board for an emmieration of cases in which, as asserted, the board had ignored the recommendations of the Road Board.

In reply to an invitation from the board, Dr Lovegrove accepted the position of visiting surgeon for the ensuing year. No reply bad been received to a similar letter sent to Dr Maclntyre, but the secretary stated that ha had accepted by attending. A letter was received from the Waimale Hospital Board re two patients who had left their institution and come to Timaru ; one had run up an account of £3l and then died, the ether £6 15*.—It was Bgrecd, on the motion of Mr Jackson, to charge the amount to charitable aid. Dr Lawson asked for the appointment ef another cleaner. The preae.nt staff was sufficient for an average amount of work, but when extra cases came in they broke down.—Request complied with. Hospital accounts to the amount of £133 12s 4d were passed for payment. Mr Moore drew attention to the fact (hat there was no mention of travelling expenses in the estimates for the year, and he should have to charge expenses. Last year his expenses had been paid by another body .—Mr Sloe expressed himself in similar terms. Dr Lawson asked the board if they would be prepared to provide an icemakmg machine for the hospital. The freezing works were not always running, and sending out an for ice was expensive. Last year the ice bill was £2O; the year before £4O. An ice machine could be got for about ton guineas, and the expanse of running was moderate. Approved, Mr Slee moved, in accordance with notice, to rescind the resolution of the board fixing a fee of 7s 6d for consulting the surgeon by persons able to pay the same. —After some discussion, this motion was carried.

At a later stage Mr Barker gave notice of the following motion for next meeting: —“That any person not in destitute circumstances wishing to consult the hospital surgeon may do so by attending at the hospital, after paying £1 to. the chairman of the board ; all such fees te be credited to the surgeon, who in every other respect will be held to the terms of his agreement.” Mr Slee also moved—“ That tickets for outpatients be signed by two members of the board.”—Agreed to. Mr Moore drew attention to the fact that one of the nurses who is in charge of the female ward only received £2O a year, and the chairman said they could consider the matter when they dealt with the estimates.

The chairman was authorised to procure another wheeled chair, cost not to exceed £5,

In dealing with the sundry applications for relief, a letter was received asking the board if they could take charge of an orphan girl of ten in the country, and place her where she could get to school. This opened up the general question of “ boarding out.”—The chairman said there were a few children boarded out at 7s 6d per week each.—Mr Moore thought the system should be extended, but he thought 7s 6d was rather too much to pay; 5s or 6s should bo enough.—lt was agreed to try and got more of the children boarded out at a lower rate than at present, if possible. The following resolulioos were passed, on the motion of Mr Jackson : —“ lhat the chairman negotiate with the Government, requesting that the old immigration barracks at Timaru be handed over to the board, with a view to their being turned ieto an orphanage and home, wherein the destitute children of the district maybe locally provided for; and that for such purpose the member for Timaru be requested to co-operate wi'h the board in facilitating this object “That the secretary procure the following information and lay it on (he table at next meetings The number of children at Burnham; by wham sent; how long they have been inmates, and how long they are to remain ; their names and ages, and their cost to the board ; that the same information be got from the orphanage at Lyttelton and Nelson and the Timaru Barracks, and respseting those boarded out; finally, the total cost of all destitute children under the board.” Charitable aid cases were then dealt with, and the meeting terminated.