Thames Hospital.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4813, 12 June 1884, Page 2

Thames Hospital.

The usual monthly meeting of the Committee was held at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Present—Mx J. McG-owan (President), Keys. P. O'Eeilly, S. J. Neill, O. B. Barley, H. Bull, and W. G. Evans, and Messrs J. Benshaw, W. S. Greenville, R. Farrell, J. Kilgour, J. W. Hall, J. Stone, A. Brpdie, and W-. Fraser.

The minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed, and apologies received for the absence of Messrs Radford, Deeble a and Ehrenfried.

The House Committee's report stated that the Hospital verandah had been repaired at a cost of £3; very few of the patients had been found able to contribute towards their expenses, and the names of these had been given to the Secretary. They recommended that in future the Managing Committee should not send patients to the Hospital without the usual recommendation from a subscriber, and that outpatients should not be supplied with wine and linseed meal. Government should be applied to for a eupply of great coats for the Old Men's Home inmates, and the Rev. W. Calder asked what steps had been taken re the £20 given for a hospital hearse, —The report was adopted. The Surgeon's report on the Old Men's Home recommended that most of the inmates be re-admitted for six months; some were able to work, and the relatives of others should contribute to their support. The report contained other recommendations, and it was on the .motion of Mr Eenshaw, referred to the House Committee to deal with.

Accounts to the amount of £86 were ordered to be sent on to Government, the vouchers for salaries to the tune of £77 7s 6d having already been forwarded.—Mr Greenville said he had received complaints from contractors that there was considei* able delay in connection with. then? accounts, and the Secretary satisfactorily

explained how the delay had been caused. The Surgeon's report was received and adopted. It stated that 1 tife number of out-patients treated during the month had been 402.

;i An application from Dr Payne for a 'month's holiday was then read, the writer ' stating that Dr Callan would conduct tbe Hospital business in the meantime. —This was ultimately granted, but considerable v discussion first took place, Dr Kilgour contending that though a resolution had been passed last year making the offices of Surgeon, Dispenser, and Secretary permanent, the persons then occupying them bad not been installed for life, and he therefore asked why applications had not been invited for medical services during the incoming year.—The Chairman said the Secretary had acted under his authority in neglecting to advertise for j medical services, he holding that the j resolution passed in August and Septemi ber last installed the officers named per- ! manently.—Dr Kilgour still conteading the point,' the Secretary read the resolutions, showing that the officers were permanently installed.—Dr Kilgqur then gave his opinion that the action of the Committee in passing such resolutions was illegal, and considerable further discussion of the. matter having taken place, he gave notice of motion for next meeting—" That the resolution recognising the offices of buVv geon, dispenser, and secretary as per*-— raanent, be rescinded." The report of the Secretary re the best means of canvassing the district for subscriptions, recommended a house to house canvass, and that subscription lists should be sent to the out-districts.—Ordered to stand over for a month. Tenders for supplies for six months were accepted as follows, there being only one tender received in each instance except for bread and washing:—Groceries, Meara and Co. ; meat, E. Bateman ; bread, Bollerson and Son (other tenderer, W. Scott); milk, R. Trembath ; washing, J. Keleher (W. Lomas' tender was the lowest, but it was decided by 7 votes to 5, chiefly on account of the dig* penser's high opinion of the way in which the work had been done to accept the other); coal, M. Casey; funerals, W. Twentyman. A letter was received from Government acknowledging the Committee, and stating that if the subscriptions were raised to one«third of the total cost, Government would be prepared to hand over the, whole control to the local Committee, but otherwise they must nominate a portion of the next Committee. Another letter, directing that tenders should be called for the new wing of the Hospital, was referred to the House Committee. Mr Greenville moved the notice of motion standing in his name, rescinding the portion of rule 2 which provided for representation by the local bodies. He spoke at some length in support of hi 9 prososal.—Mr Farrell secondod.—ln the course of the discussion which followed, it was mentioned that the Borough, Council had built the Old Men's Home, and that both Couacils had, through the money withdrawn from subeidies, contributed largely towards the Hospital funds.—The motion was lost by 6 votes to 4. Messrs Veale, Stone, Brodie, and the Rev. S. J. Neill were appointed House Committee during the ensuing -month, and the meeting adjourned.