Thames Goldfields Hospital.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2525, 8 February 1877, Page 3

Thames Goldfields Hospital.

Tte usual monthly meeting of the committee of the above institution was held at the Salutation Hotel, at four o'clock yesterday afternoon. There were present —Mr J. Renshaw, president (in the chair). The Rev. V. Lush; Messrs Hicks, Aitken, McCullough, D. Miller, Comer, Macnab, Hudson and Ahier.

MINUTES. Tho minutes of the previous meeting ■were read and confirmed. A discussion arose as to the advisability of reading the minutes of the anrfual meeting, but as several members thought they had no right to do so, the matter dropped. tbeasuber's report. Mr J. Hudson; the hon. treasurer, read the monthly balance-sheet as follows : — Balance-sheet of receipts and expenditure for the month ending 31st Jan , 1877, Receipts.—Dr. To cash balance forward, £6 7s 9d; bank balance forward, £97 '6s 8d ; donations, £1; subscriptions, £23 r 17s 6d ;: patients' charges, £5 17s Id; Government grant, £250 — £384 9s. Expenditure.—Or. By salaries, £53 3s 2d ;

maintenance, £34 10s 3d ; medical com£2 9s 6d ; miscellaneous expenses, £7Us 6d; bank Bd; cash balance,', £1 I Inabilities,—Salaries, ■^PRdl^^erdl, £56 ' ißs-£ll7 Tes^ld. Assets.-i-Bank balance, £278 10a 3d ; cash balance, £1 2s 4d; &overnment aid due, £83 6s Bd—£362 19s 3d. Less liabilities,' £11716s 4d. Nett assets, £2^slld." . Mr Macriab proposed and Mr Comer seconded that the report be adopted, and the accounts passed for payment. Carried^

HOUSE SUHGEON's EEPOET. The House Surgeon's monthly report was read as follows :— "I have the honor to report, for the information of the committee, .that on the 31st December, .1876, there remained in hospital 18 patients ; that during the month of January,, 1877, there were 7 admissions, 4; patients were discharged, 1 died.;. and upon the 31st of January, 20 remained under treatment. Analysing the cases in the house, there are 2 cases;^rheumatism, 2 paralysis, 2 bronchitis, 2 ulcers, 1 : chronic encephalitis, 1 gout; 1 haematuria, 1 fever, 1 fracture, 1 erysipelas, 1 wound, and 1 alcoholism. The death was of a patient suffering from chronic disease of.the liver, who had been upwards of eleven months in the hospital.-rWsi. A. Pebston, M.D." The report was received and adopted on the motion of Mr McCullough.

1 '' ,: APOLOGIES. Apologies were received from the Eevs. J. Hill, Father Chastagnon, and Messrs Frater and Mcilhone. . HOSPITAL SUNDAY. . A letter was read from the Baptist Church agreeing to have the Hospital Sunday on Sunday week, the 25th February; also one from St. George's Church to the same effect. It was understood that other churches would also have the collection on the same day.

APPLICATION TOE EISB OF 3ALABY. A letter was read from Daniel McAniny, the gardener, applying for. an increase of salary. The President said that formerly the work had been* done by patients, but gradually it had drifted round and had become an appointment. McAniny received £1 per month arid his keep. . Mr Macnab proposed that the matter be referred: to the House Committee to report on. This was carried. CIBCULAE. A circular was read from an English company requesting an order for a newly patented water filter. ■ • ir INQUIRY. The following letter was then read:— " Port Lethen, Aberdeen, Scotland, 14th November, 187<>. —To the Thames Hos? pital, New Zealand.—l have heard that a George Scdrgie died in your hospital on 23rd July last. He being-a brother of mine, would you have the kindness to write me a few lines, and let me know of what illness he died, and if his wife or anyone buried him, or anything you may know about him or his affairs.—l remain, yours truly, William Scobgie." The secretary was instructed to write informing Mr Scorgie of the particulars of his brother's death.

"disqualificationl of membehs. The Secretary then read the following letter,:— " Grabamstown, 22dd January, 1877.— To the President and members Thames Goldfield Hospital: Gentlemen,—We, the undersigned, being two duly qualified subscribers to - the hospital, and the proposer and seconder of Mr George Bagnall (also a subscriber) at the annual meeting as a member of the Committee of Management of the said hospital, beg respectfully to call your attention to information recently received by us, that two of the members of the committee who have been elected, or said to be elected, are not subscribers, and are therefore disqualified from holding such j position; ■ We therefore request that you will take steps tq ascertain the correctness of this statement, and, in the event \ of its being true, that you will also recognise the gentleman proposed and seconded by us as a member of your com-mittee.—-We are, &c., Thos. Votvles, Wm. J.Cain." ->»Mr Macnab asked the secretary if at the time of the election, were all those elected eligible ? , ; The secretary said that Messrs Bowe and Gudgeon had not paid their subscriptioi£^ time, and were not eligible'. Mr Guerdon had since paid his subscription, but Mr Bowe had not. ■

A discussion here ensued as to the eligibility of the tyro gentlemen, the general feeling appearing to be that they were not. Mr McCullbugh said he would propose"That Messrs Gudgeon and Ro we through an oversight were not eligible for their seats in the committee." This was overruled. ' Mr Hicks said that he thought that the only way to get out of the difficulty was to call an extraordinary meeting of the subscribers. " The President suggested that the matter be referred to the Chairman of the annual meeting. Mr Miller asked if the objection should not have been lodged the night of the annual nieeting. Was ft *n °?&ei to.'do it npwP ■'.:'':^'"'-:: "■ '■ ■. •'■ . ■"' ■ , Zrfr Aitken said he thought the minutes of the annual' meeting should have been read over. They had not power to confirm them, but, it would do no harm to read them over. They would see if there was anythipg in. them affecting this matter. The minutes were then read over. Mr McCullough said that the chairmattof the annual meeting had evidently

made a mistake, and they could now declare the seats vacant.

Mr Hickg said they could not. They had been declared duly elected. Mr Miller said that eveu though they were illegally elected the. committee could not turn them out. . Mr Hicks moved that a sub-committee, to consist of five members of -'the committee, be appointed to see the chairman of the annual meeting and draw up a report on the matter. After some discussion, the number of the sub-committee being reduced to two, the motion was carried. HOUSE: COMMITTEE. Messrs Ahier, Aitken, Mcllhone, and Souter were appointed House Committee for the ensuing month. Mr McCulloufjh asked the secretary if he had sent the admission tickets to the Friendly Societies yet, as he had heard that, they were required. ■ -Mr Hicks said he also had heard that they were required. The Secretary said he had not yet done so. The committee had no idea of • the amount of work the Demonstration had entailed on hirn^ coming so near the time of the annual meeting, when he had to square up all accounts. He had yet some 20 letters to write oa the subject, and he would send the tickets as soon as possible. •The meeting then terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.