Thames Goldfield Hospital.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3533, 22 April 1880, Page 2

Thames Goldfield Hospital.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of subscribers to this institution was held at the Academy of Music last evening. There w^re about 100 persons present, including the mem* bers of the out-going Committee, who occupied seats on the stage. The President (Mr W. McCullough), who occupied the Chair, read the advertisement convening the meeting, and then called on Mr E. Honiss, Secretary, to read the minutes of the last annual meeting, which was done, and the minutes confirmed.

The President then read the annual report as follows :— REPORT OP THE COMMITTEE OF THE THAMES HOSPITAL FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st MARCH, 1880. To the Subscribers to the Thames Hospital.

Gentlemen,—ln presenting the 11th Annual Report, your Committee have much pleasure in stating that the Hospital is in a satisfactory state of efficiency; that during the past twelve months it nas abundantly proved its great usefulness to the community, and that its staff of officers have fully main* tainod its reputation for being. one of the beßt conducted and most efficient institutions of its kind in the Colony. The balance-sheet is, however, not so satisfactory as compared with former years, but many reasons can be given for the present statement of the hon. Treasurer. Your Committee commenced last year with a credit balance of £713 7s Id, and have now only £161 5s lid to hand to their successors. When, however, the several accounts in the statement are compared with the balancesheet of last year it will be found that a serious decrease has taken,place in the revenue—£loo less has been received under the heading Subscriptions and Donations, £82 less from Hospital Sunday Collections, ' and £49 less from Patients* Charges, while \ the sum of about £100 fonsaxiy--**iceivear £ronr-ttarTrrXßnTny"Soeiefies*" Demonstration was not forthcoming, so that the revenue derived from these sources has been less by £331 than the previous year. This loss is, unfortunately, further increased, as the subsidy of pound for pound, payable by the Government upon $dl sums received except patient* charges, has consequently been lost, and altogether the -total deficiency amounts to £637.

The expenditure, on the other hand, has not at all decreased j in fact, owing to several circumstances, it has slightly in' creased, :so that the receipts have not met the expenditure by £552, While upon this question it may be mentioned that the Government have intimated that it is their intention to introduce an Act during the next session of Parliament dealing with Hospitals and Charitable Inatitu? tions, which it is anticipated will cause local governing bodies to provide for the mainten? ance of such institutions. In the meantime, your Committee desire an increased liberality on the part of the friends and supporters of the Thames Hospital, which lias so admirably met the requirements of this community, and been a credit to the goldfield.

Many improvements. have been made during the year in the Hospital in the direc. <<ion of adding to the comfort; and convenience of\the patients.

The Old Men's Refuge, built from designs by B. W, Hollis, Esq., has been opened during the year, and several old men, who had been inmates of the Hospital for years, have been removed to the new building, which has been fitted up with every convenience for the comfort and happiness of the inmates. The building is capable of accommodating 25 aged people, and has a large garden attached wherein those of the inmates able to work assist in the cultivation of vegetables and fruit for-the use of the Hospital. Through the liberality,of the Borough Council each inmate of the Home has been provided with a warm winter suit of clothing, and additions have been made to the bedding both to the Hospital and Home to meet the change of climate. . . ■

Your Committee tender their thanks to the subscribers for their liberality; to the minis. ters and ofQce-bearers of the churches for the Hospital Sunday collections; to Mrs Alex. Hume for her exertions in organising a bazaar, which resulted in £24 2s 6d being added to the Hospital funds, and to the mine managers who collected subscriptions from their workmen.

The best thanks of the subscribers are due to Dr Huxtable, of the hon, medical staff, who has been most unremitting in his attendance at the Hospital, and has given valuable aid to Dr Payne on many occasions. Your Committee have pleasure in stating that Dr Gallan has also expressed his willingness to assist in the work of the Hospital, and at the last meet* ing of the Committee was unanimously elected on the hon. medical staff. Your Committee also desire to acknowledge their indebtedness to the Press for the publication, free of expense, of many matters by which the best interests of tho Hospital were advanced. As the institutions under the control of your Committee not only provide comfortable quarters for tho aged, infirm and poor, but good, skilled attendance, medicine and advice equal to any obtainable by their more prosperous fellow-men, it behoves all who are able, to assist and give their best aid to the efforts of the Committee of Management to falfil their duties, by giving liberal subscript tions, so that the benefits of the institution may be extended,, and the efficiency, good name, and reputation of the Thames Gold* field Hospital maintained. The Hon. Treasurer's balance-sheet, and the Surgeon's report will give further infor.

mation upon the business transacted durioff the past year. " Signed on behalf of the Committee, William McCumough, President. The Hon. Treasurer, Mr J. H«dson read the annual balance-iheet. ~ Balance Shbbt of Receipts and Expenditure for the year ending 31st March, 1880 :•— Dr: To balance, 31st March, 1879, £713 7a la; subscriptions and donations, £254 7a a ;ifnr Omplo^eB in mines, mill*, & c ., £96 •lld (Moanatairi mine £40 2s Bd, Alburaia mine £19 9s 6d, Kanaeranga bush £12 12s sd, Queen of Beauty mine 9s 6d, Price's SF^-f 7 llfl 6d ' Bai^ay contract No. 2 £117s 6d, Waiotahi mine £7 ss, Caledonian mine £1 Is, Tairua saw-mills £5, Hape creek miners 12s); Ancient Order of Foresters. £14 6s, bazaar held by Mrs A. Hume £24 2s 6d, private contributions £119 8s Id; Hospital Sunday Church colleations, £11 6a 3d; patients' charges, £70 la; Government of N.Z., £298 17s 2d • Thames Borough Council, £394 6a 6d; Interest, £12 j Total, £1754 5s sd. Cr.: By Mm, 7 V* P^' Main*enance (rations, fuel, gas, ■*£). £*M 7s 8d; Medical comforts, dEOM* 10d; Furniture, £12 14s 7d; Bedding, £40 16s sd; Clothing, £114s; Printing adver. tismg, and stationery, £19 0a 3d: Miacel. laneous expenses, £28 lla 6d: Funeral expenses, £9 8s lid; Building and repairs, £06 17s 4d;" Commission, £14 12s 6d; Drugs and appliances £62 Us 4d: Insurance, £9 6s; Interest, £3 8s 2d; Balance carried forward, £161 5s lid; Total, £1764 5* 6d. Assets and Liabilitibs :—Assets • Balance at Bank of New Zealand, £5 9s 8d; Balance of cash (including cheque from Thames Borourh Council £150), £155 16s 3d; Smbaidydie from Government at the rate of pound for pound on receipts during the last tkree months, £322 10s 2d; total, £483 Ufa Id. Liabilities: Salaries and commission, £72 16s 4d; Rations, fuel, gaa, 4c., £7119 a 7d; Repairs and furniture, £l 3s 6d; Medicine and medical comforts, £19 17s 6d; Bedding and clothing, £18 19a 6d; Printing, advertising, and stationery, £1 4s; Incidental SSSyM; W; Balßnce» ®& 7a sd; total, £400 Ids Id.

The President intimated that now was the time to make any remark* on the report and balance-sheet. Mr C.F. Quint moved, and Mr Cornea seconded, the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, which waa earned. The Secretary then read the Surgeon's report for the last year. The following is an extract from the annual report:—Ok collecting the statistics on the Thames Hot* pital during the past year we find that there were remaining at the eloae of the fiaan> cial year 1878-1879 seventeen patients. That during the past year 129 patients have been admitted, of which 120 h*VO been discharged, and ten have died. There are 16 patients now reoiaiaing. There have been 146 in patients relieved as againßt 176 for the previous year, and 141 for the year before. The number of out patients treated during the past year are 851 as against 887 for the year before. It will be remembered, however, if the numbers appear to be oiminighing, that the previous financial year of 1878*1879 contained 15 months in January 1,1878, to April I,lß79—the past year only to*, taming 12 months. . Mr A. Hume proposed the adoption of the report, which was seconded by Mr Nathaniel Howe and carried. The President nominated L. Bhrenfrisd, Esq.. as President of the Hospital for, the ensuing term. Mr Comer seconded. Carried unanimously. - Mr T. L. Murray was unanimously electedVice.President. MessrsMeOowaa, McCullough, and the Key. Father O'Beilly were nominated for the office, bmt declined the honor. . .

Mr Alex.- Home was elected HflL -Tresanrejt on th« motion oT Mr Comer. Mr Hudson and Mr Ahier were also nominated, bat declined to stand. The election of the general committee was then proceeded with, Messrs W. Kowe and P, Hennessey acting as scrutineers. The . following gentlemen were then- elected:—Messrs Goner, McCullough, McOowan, Hudson, Moll. hone, A. Price, Benihtw, Aitken, Ahier. Mulligan, Badford, Frater, arid Bers. Laishley, Lush, S. J. Neill, and Father O'fieilly. The following were also aominttad, but failed to receive the necessary number of rotes:—Messrs D. Cloonan, V?". Deeblt, Whitehead, W. Wilson, and Bant. Messrs Carriek and Gellion havigg bee* re elected auditors, votes of thanks wen carried to the House Surgeon and Medical Stiff, the outgoing committee, tine auditors, to Mr Dunn for free use of room for committee meetings, to Mr Curtis who who had kindly given the use of the Academy of Music gratis, for the meeting, and to the Chairman. The meeting then adjourned, j