S.C. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1970, 16 November 1889, Page 3

S.C. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The monthly meeting of this Board was held yesterday. Present—Messrs D. M. Ross (chairman), Moore, and McLareD, and Dr Lovegrove. Amongthe outward correspondence wasa letter to Mrs Darnell, Curistchurch, mother of two children feund by the police at Geraldine, deserted. The children had been sent to their mother, and the chairman stated that the police at Chriatchurch saw that she received them on arrival. A letter to the Auckhnd C. A. Board refused to pay anything on account of the Siraatti family (Italian) who had gone to Auckland, and who had become chargeable to the Board there, as they were all able to work. The Auckland Board replied te this that the family had really needed and received some assistance, and as a matter of principle the small cost should be repaid them. —Claim to be paid. A letter to the Southland Board asked for payment of costs incurred on account of a girl who came up from that district, £8 8s lOd. A situation had been got for the girl, but the infant was still kept in the barracks, at a oost of 7» 6d per week. Had the Board any suggestion to make re the baby ? A letter to an ex-patient of the hospital asking for the whereabouts of her husband had elicited the reply that she knew nothing about him, and he was no good to anybody anyway. Besides the hospital account, the board are now keeping five children, boarded out at 5s per week each. The Chnstchutch Board wrote that a man named W. Wilson, aged 60, from the Mount Peel district, had become chargeable to them, and would probably require a permanent home. Would the S.C. Board prefer to p<ty his maintenance, or have him sent down to Timaru ?—A reply had been sent, founded on a police report, that no man of that name was known io the Mount Peel district, and the Board therefore declined to be liable for hie maintenance.

A letter was receiyed from the Dunedin Beard, stating that a woman named Kennedy, with an imbecile daughter, had goae down there from Timarn.—A reply had been sent that if the women are fit to bs sent back, that course should be taken.

The chairman reported that during the month a tender (£25) had been let for extending the hospital lewer ; that tw<D children had be<m boarded out from the hospital, one at 6s per week, the other free; that applications for relief had not been go numerous; and that the secretary bad collected £lO6 of the outstanding accounts. A Temuka woman who bed been promised £5 towards the cost of a passage Bomf, interviewed the board to ask either that the amount be inorersed, as Bhe could not make up the balance, or that they would giro her

the £5 to ermb'.o her tc go to Sydney, where she belibve she believed her ion was. —The former offer to be adhered to, or her passage to be paid to Sydney. A married woman* whose husband is undergoing a long term of imprisonment, And who ia in receipt of rations, waited on the board to aik that they would take charge of her four children and she would go to work and pay something towards them, She could not kee'p the children herself, bscause she had no means of paying the rent She had been taking half a sister'* wages for the rent so far.-Children to be taken into the bar racks and boarded out at soon as possible. The caretaker of the barracks interviewed the board re the children under his care, and for whom he w•-* paid 7s 6d a week each. These from 2 to 8 yearß paid, but many of the babies were to liokly as to need nursing night and day, and cost 20s per week. He alio complained that people who took children from the barracks a'ways took the healthiest) and that in several instances he had only supplied the children with good clothes when they were taken away. He thought the children should be divided into three olasses, aooording to age and constitution, and he would submit three prioes.— After consideration it was deoided that the caretaker should make a special claim in suoh cases.

A man who has had a foot amputated was granted a sum for a H stump." The Bev. Mr Hamilton wrote enclosing a letter from Blackburn, England, RBking for assistance in sending a widow and four children residing in Arowhenua, Home. — Enquiries to be made as to cost of passage on sailing vessel. A few more applications for charitable aid were received and dealt with, In one case a woman living on the Bangitata with four young ohildren, one an infant of four months, said she had no milk and no food except potatoes. In another case an increase of rations was requested for a man almost bedridden at Geraldine. An acquaintance who had been attending him stated the allowance was only equal to 4i a day, while 6s a week was allowed for ohildren. The nun's olothes were but rags, and his one blanket was in shreds.'

A letter was read from Dr Reid, relative to the ease of the boy Dalyj whose father had refused to pay the hospital ohar.es, on the ground that hie boy, who had been treated for a broken elbow, had been crippled. Dr Beid explained that the boy was very unruly and passionate, and had. undone his work three or four times over.—Mr Jowisey bore out Dr Reid's statement abeut the boy's disposition!—lt was agreed that the Board should hear Mr White, Mr Daly's solicitor, at next meeting, and as Mr McL*ren understood Dr Bwart would be paseing through Timaru early next month, the chairman undertook to try and see him about the oase, It was decided to oommunicate with the Colonial Secretary, pointing out the need for altering the date of the statutory meeting, in consequence of the alteration in the date of the meetings of the county council. Hospital accounts, £175 9s Bd, and oharitable aid acoounts, £322 9s Bd, were passed for payment.