TUAPEKA HOSPITAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 400, 17 October 1874, Page 2

TUAPEKA HOSPITAL.

The usual quarterly meeting of subscribers to the funds of the Tuapeka Hospital was held in the Commercial Assembly Room on Thursday evening. A Committee meeting was held a few minutes previously, when the quarterly financial statement and balance sheet were received and adopted. The pi*esident occupied the chair. The minutes of the previous quarterly meeting, and special meeting were read and confirmed. The Secretary then read the financial state* ment and balance sheet, from which we gleaned that during the quarter ending September 30th, there had been received sub* scriptions to the amount of £113 9a 6d ; £3 from paving patients ; £403 10a., Government subsidy. The expenditure for the quarter amounted to a total of £379 13s Id., which was made up as follows : — Salaries, £139 10s ; rations, £113 3s 8d ; stores, £18 ss; fuel, £33 12s 6; drugs, £19 6s 6d j medical comforts, £12 ; interments, £8; incidentals, £35 15s 6d. The present financial position of the institution ia as follows :— Accounts impaid, £120 10s 3d ; amount due to the bant, £74 19s 6d ; making a total indebtedness of £195 8s lOd, to meet which the sum of £113 9s 6d is due by the Government, leaving a balance of £82 0a 4d against the institution. The President stated that the sum of £44 from paying patients was paid to the Treasurer on the last day of the quarter, but as it was after Bank hours, the amount didnot appear in the quarter's receiptsOn the motion of Mr. Hay, seconded by Mr. Sheath, the statement and balancesheets were received and adopted. Before proceeding to consider the new rules which had been drawn up by the com*mittee; Mr. C. W. Adams a Uressed the meeting on tha excessive use of medical comforts, and commented ia very plain language on the conduct of the paid officers of the institution. He clrew attention to the figures which had been quoted as the amount paid for medical comforts for the last qaurter as being £ 1 2, and compared that sum with what was paid for medical' comforts for the quarters preceding, the previous quarter being £75, and the next to that again being £119. Subscribers to a public institution are allowed very great latitude in expressing their opinions upon real or imagined mismanagement, but the preas is not so privileged. We must, therefore, refrain from reporting the charges brought against the}

paid officers of the institution byjMr. Adams, and the discussion which ensued thereon. We can only give a bare outline of what took place. Mr. Adams at the close of his remarks moved tho following resolution : "That the Tuapeka Hospital as conducted under its present staff of paid officers does not possess the confidence of its subscribers." Mr. Squires seconded the motion pro forma to draw forth discussion. Tho Rev. Mr. Menzies could not support the motion as it Btood. He thought that what had been said should rather form the basis of enquiry. Mr. Abel pointed out that all Mr. Adams -had said \?as only from hearsay, and his proper course Bhould have been to report to the Committee. The President was about to put the resolution to the meeting, when My. Ferguson moved that the vote be taken by ballot. The motion was seconded, when there were six for and fifteen against. The motion was then put, when there were four for, and thirty against. The rules were then taken into consideration. From 1 to 4, inclusive, were passed without comment. Tho discussion upon rule 5, on the qualifications of a contributor, was of a somewhat animated character. Several amendments were proposed ; and ultimately the rule was altered to read as it appears iv our supplement of this day. Owing so the lateness of the tipur, the meeting waa adjourned till Thursday, 22nd instant, when it is to be hoped there will be a good attendance, as some very important rules remain to be discussed.