THE BUCHANAN HOME

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10678, 26 July 1912, Page 4

THE BUCHANAN HOME

OFFICIAL OPfcNINC.

'iiio offJehl opening of the Buchanan Homo at Grcytown took place yesterday. The weather was "but tiho attendance nevertheless was •good, roprosoniaitive-s cf the various I'townshipa in the Wairarapa 'being preaont. Tlie Ministerial pirty, conisisbiiyr of the Hun. R. Heaton ißhodes, .Minister for Hospitals, the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister far diatoms, and Dr Pomarc, Native Minister, accompanied by Dr Yalintine, Messrs Eycoiit and Xosworthy, .M.'sP., arrived by the mid-diay train from Wellington, acid were met 'by the roprewntatives of the Wairarapa iloca'i bodies. •

At 12.'J0 p.m. a luncheon- was held at the Orcytown Hot-el, when the only toast proposed was unit of His Majesty the King. ' THE OFFICIAL OPEXIXU.

The 'official opening took place at the Hospital buildings at 2 o'clock, where there was a large gathering of the public, including Mr G. K. Sykes, M.P., of Maaterton. Mr E. G. Eton, Chairman of tho Wairarapa District Hospital Board, presented the Hon. M'r (Rhodes, Minister for OHJo&pitia'ls, with a stiver key. In .making the presentation, Mr Eton referred to the fact that the contriIhaition was- a spontaneous one, and icame from the whoie oi the con'tiributing districts in the Wairarapa. He referred ;in eulogistic terms to the mianifold yorviees rendered hy Mr Bii■chanan, and stated that the gift of a key was .hot confined to Grey town, but was representative of the district. The Hon. R. H. Rhodes then formally declared the building open. An adjournment was made to the •interior of tire building, when Mr D. P. Loasby, Mayor of Grcytown, stated that the gatherng was held to pay a memoriam to a gentleman who had done excellent service to the district.

Mr W. C. Buchanan, in respnpding, eaid the sentiments expressed by the Mayor of G<reytow;i laid heavily upon •him. He idlt a difficulty in standing by and hearing himself complimented <?n the .manner in which he had been •complimented by the Mayor of Greytown. Hfe felt that in- whatever he had done he 'had a noble example in the early rciskJonits of the district. 'He pointed out that in 1873 the Hospital at Greytown had only £6OO for maintenance purposes, £2OO of which ■was subscribed by the Provincial Government. In 1881 the Hoard liad one medical officer with a salary of £SO. This officer way sti.ll on ' the staff. lii those days '.settlers contn■nuted 34 par cent, of the sum required (for the upkeep of the Hospital. The Masstierton cost '£KKJO for maintenance, of which the sstiKer-s eentr.tirated v considerable sum. . Tlie position to-day was that the dlvtrict had to contribute £4955 for the upkeep of Hospitals asagainst £769 in 1881. The population in 1881 was 10,0-;3, whilst in 1911 it was 30,341, showbg that while the expenditure had (increased by .six-fold the population had only increased by threo fold. In Carterton tihey liad the Carter Home, in 'Hastei-ton the &>1 wayHome, and it was fitting that they should now have in the Lower Wai■rarjpa a e-imilar heme for the aged and needy. Mr Buchanan thawked the settlers of the district for J uio honour they were paying liilm, and feaid he would do this best for the settlers of 'the district. (Applause. )

The Hon. R. H. Rhodes thanked jMr Eton, for the gift of the key, which he would keep as a urn: in en to of a noble mm. He was glad to be present oil ibis first officio'] di-caaum a.s Minister for Hospital. He congratulated the Waiirarapa district and the, Hospital Board upon 'having been relieved of a r&sjponsilbility by the munificence c.£ Mr JBudianan. Th ( > gift was an. effective reply to tho.se who •said that the chanty of pri.vatie individuals had been dried up. The State. ; had come to recogniso that it was its : duty to look aftgr the health of the ipeor/le of the rising genera iton. He indicutted that the policy of the. Government wcu'ld 'be to provide for further accommodation in connection •with the St. HekuS Homer., the in'apeetion of eclicol cihildiren, and the ■proviakrn c-f bacteriologists wrth an ample supply of ecra and vaccine. Attention 'would a.lao he paid to con(•sumptives. TEe Minister j)p,id » tribute to Mr Bwliaunn, stinting thaiE ■ he heped that tlie monlument of that j <day would live long in tlbe memory of ! present and future generations. Mr J. ]L. Coradine, Mayor of Mas'tortan:, in proposing the 'health of (Parliament, 'stilted tha' ho wis nonipolitica'l, .but he believed the duty of all Parliaments should V to ifaoe' the problem of humanity. The Foil. F. IL Ti. Fisher', wOio 'wavs received ivitli bhceivi. stated Ifchat he was pleased to be a,Minister of the Grown., and pleased a bo to be present to do honour to suoh an cs'timaWs of the peoplo as Mr Buchanan. He referred to the ifaot that the majority of the present Ministry were colonial 'bom. Mr Masisey lhad been ploughing the lonely Ifiuir.row., Ibu.t this Ifurrow ]iad now been turned. 'Mr Buc'banan! Mid been referred, to n« tlie tstcny lio-od eld Cx\jservatii'vo, ibuit ho had come to the experience that 'the guest o.f the day was one of the finest individuals r-hat the Dominion liad. )He felt that Mr Buchanan lilid displayed groat ' selfsacrifice in allowing younge.r men thain hiintaolf to enter t-o the Ministry. He asked the. '{'.rr.ends of the .party not to 'be too critical at tin's iperiod. "If you only give us a fohance," said Mr ;F6sher, "you will 'iincl that you have ihe right p.'.irty in Ipower and the wr.r.ig party for legisiatiou out of power." 'He- hoped this would be a red letter day in the 'history of the Wairarapa. The Hon. Dr Pomii.ro made a ne:.it jlitit'lc ispecoh, in wihidh he referred to the fact that 'he was a Scotchman', his forefathers having absorbed the Scotch peoplo. Mr Frai'k Feist, Mayor of Carter-

•ton, -unveiled ;.\ portrait of Mr Buchanan, wfliich had been presented by, the people of the district extending from PaJlfer Bay to 'Woodville. In doing so ho stated that the subscription had been made from- th L > small people of the district. ' Mr .Buchanan returned tliaulw to il« Feist, and edited that ,ho would donate the picture of himsr:.? to thtf • 15: •• Mian Homo. (.CLcir-O The tc:t,i.:imcn,;al printed bv tho settlers of the district with the portrait was signed as follow,.;: TESTIMONIAL TO W. C. BUCHAXA.X ESQ., 31.1'. Dear Sir, — We. the representatives, of the local -bodies of the Waiitirapa Hospital -District, desire to take thin opportunity of publicly recognising your kuuhrble and philanthropic action: in providing a Home for Incurables for the Wairar'apa district, and, in the .name of the whole of the residents of the district, ,we offer yuu our grateful lulianks for your munificent gift. The handsome structure* officially; opened this day hy the Hon. R. \\i ißhodes wil-i, during the years to ■come-, afford a havoa of rest and comfort to hundreds ei the afflicted poof. of this district, -\\lhose grateful thankg. •will .be "as the s-weeit 'sune'l-l of incense" to the'memory of the man who!iliad a thought of them in their affliction. We desire to express our fiincei'e i feelings otf esteem and respect for" you, and, ias a small recognition ofi your .personal woi/fch, we beg you to accept this address and the accompanying portratit. On, (behalf cif the Executive Committee, sincerely yours, D. P. LOAfiBY, Chairman. FRANK FEiIST. J. M. COKADIXE. E. G. ETON. J. B. KEITH. N.-D. BUXTING, Secretary..