S.C. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2532, 22 July 1893, Page 3

S.C. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the South Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Boark was held on Tuesday. Present: Messrs Jackson (chairman), Moore, Barker, Talbot, Gillingham, Graham and Sherratt. An apology was accepted for Mr R. H. Rhodes. The chairman, in his opening statement, said all the local bodiea had paid their contributions, and the Government subsidy had been applied for, but was not yet received. There was a balance in the bank of £9BO 13s 3d ; and accounts to pay £497 0s 3d—hospital £309 13s 7d and charitable aid £lB5 6s Bd—leaving a balance of £483 13s. There had been received from patients in the last three months £B3 12s lOd. The house steward reported that there were 36 patients in the hospital, of whom 13 were cases of measles. It was decided that the chairman should procure the blankets required for the hospital from the local mill. CHARITABLE AID CASES. The chairman reported that a hospital patient who had been in some time, had bean discharged and sent to the barracks, when his friends took him away. An old man, blind, who had been taken from tho barracks by a lady with some show of indignation, had been sent back, and he had arranged to board him out at 7s 6d a week. Another man who had been in the hospital and barracks for a long time, had been found a billet at 3s a week and food, and had been told that ho must take it. A man named went away, leaving two children with the woman he had been living with. The woman illtreated the children so badly that the police took them away and put them in the barracks. The man’s whereabouts was found, the children sent to him through the chief of police in that city, and he had taken charge of them all right. The Board decided that the Timaru relatives of a young man who came over from Melbourne and in a fortnight went to the hospital, should bo pressed for payment of expenses, the young man being unable to pay. A considerable discussion took place upon the question of demanding the deeds of properties from freeholders in receipt of charitable aid, to prevent the properties being dealt with. Mr Graham objected strongly to respectable old people being annoyed by any such process, and Mr Moore pointed out that the law at present gives the board all the security it was proposed to gain, and the matter was then dropped, except that Mr Barker was commissioned to make certain arrangements with a recipient of aid, owner of a small property, in his district. HOME FOR THE DESTITUTE. The chairman and Messrs Sherratt and Talbot, as the committtee appointed to report on the system of dealing with destitute children and aged people, reported as follows ; - “ The question of the present means of the Board for dealing with cases of destitute and homeless old people and children, also for affording casual relief, having been for some time past in various ways brought under the notice of the Board, a committee of three of its members, viz., the chairman and Messrs Sherratt and Talbot, were appointed to look into the matter with a view of recommending what steps (if any) should be taken in the matter. The committee duly met and gave the subject careful and earnest consideration, both in its aspect from an economical point of view and the Board’s duties and responsibilities in dispensing charities. The Board has had handed over to it the premises in Timaru known as the Immigration Barracks, for the purrose of being used for charitable purposes. It is at present utilised for placing a few children there, under the charge of a matron, who is paid a fixed sura per head to provide for them ; and it is further used to give shelter to a few homeless old people, and for giving casual shelter in some cases of destitution, old people and casuals beiug allowed rations but otherwise looking after themselves. With regard to the question of destitute children in its various phases, the Board has about 70 cases on hand, of which 42 are dealt with under the boarding-out system, 17 are at the Burnham Industrial School, three at Nelson and the balance at the barracks. Thq fiverage cost is about 5s Cdper head per week. After carefully reviewing the present position, and looking forward to the future increasing requirements, the committee are strongly of opinion that the Board should set about providing the means for dealing with those cases of destitution within our own district, and upon a more rational, uniform, and humane system than obtains at present; and in the opinion of the committee this object would be best attained by the establishment of an industrial farm of from 100 to 150 acres of good land, conveniently situated, that suitable buildings should be erected thereon, as an orphanage, old men’s home, and for affording casual shelter; the Board would thus have the means of finding useful and remunerative occupation for all who could work, and for training children to a useful knowledge of farm and dairy work. Boys and girls thus trained would, the committee feel sure, start with a good chance of a future useful and successful career, and there would be little or no difficulty in finding for them good situations for employment. The initial cost of the scheme herein outlined, includiug land and buildings, would, the committee estimate roughly, amount to about £3OOO. The present annual cost of supporting destitute children should, however, be greatly reduced, as the institution ought to be largely self-supporting. The present system of boarding out children is no doubt preferable to keeping them in any numbers together, in a town, and although the chief grounds of objection would be done away with in the case of their beiug kept in a country institution, the committee do not suggest that the present system would necessarily bp departed from except to the extent of taking all children into the inatitqtion for a year or two at least apid fitting them for and and assisting them to obtain suitable situations, and further exercising some supervision and charge over them for a few years afterwards. The present system of dealing with cases of destitute and in firm old ago extends only to supplying rations and giving shelter in the barracks. It lias the merit of cheapness, but not of conferring much comfort or cheerfulness of surroundings. In recommending the proposals herein cofitaiued to the Board’s consideration, the committee desire to point out that probably the present time offers quite as favorable an opportunity for obtaining the necessary funds as the future is likely to do ; while the present need for better provision to relieve destitution is pressing, and will, as the population becomes more dense, be an absolute necessity.” Mr Talbot spoke strongly in support of the proposal, but as ho supposed members would like time to consider the report, moved that ccmmdoration be deferred until next mooting, Mr Graham seconded this, and after several members had spoken this was agreed to.

FREE MEDICAL ATTENDANCE. Dr Lovegrove attended to draw the attention of the board to the number of charitable aid cases he had to attend as medical officer. The secretary said Dr Lovegrove had been very kind, willingly attending any case referred to him, and the practice had grown up of sending for him in all cases. The chaiaman was requested to confer with the whole medical staff upon the subject, and after passing accounts the meeting terminated.