WESTPORT HOSPITAL.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 527, 8 July 1869, Page 2

WESTPORT HOSPITAL.

MEETING OF COMMITTEE. The Hospital Committee met on Tuesday evening. Present —Dr Giles (in the chair), Messrs Powell, Field, Bailie, Harris, Eeid, M'Farland, and Munro (Hon. Sec.) It was explained that Mr Smyth and Mr Munson were on a visit to the Northern Terraces, on the business of the Hospital. The Visiting Committee reported that they had jjrocured, for the use of the patients, draft-boards and dominoes, and had accepted the tender of Mr Walter Bishop for a supply of newspapers and periodicals. The Hon. Seceetaby read the report prepared by a sub-committee for presentation to the public meeting of Wednesday, and it was adopted. Appended to it were the Treasurer's statement, and the Medical Officer's report for the year.

The Hon. Treasurer (Mr Harris) stated that the credit balance at present was £292 17s sd. Adding the subsidy due by the Government, the amount would be £S42 12s 3d, and, with the subscriptions yet to be received, the total would, no doubt, be £IOOO. Up to the 30th of June the Government had paid every penny. He had made an analysis of the subscriptions for last year, and it appeared that the. different districts had subscribed in the following proportions : —"Westport, £245 6s 9d ; Addison's Flat, £163 19s 6d; Caledonian, £IOS 10s ; German Terrace, £43 10s ; Lyell, £3 3s. This year, so far as the subscriptions had gone, the proportions were : —Westport, £lll 2s; Addison's Flat, £3B 16s 6d j Caledonian, £3B 4s 6d; Giles Terrace, £l6 9s 6d. Next evening he would be prepared to add a statement showing the class of patients received, and the districts from which they came. To the cost of each patient he had added 20 per cent, as representing the cost of building, and, with that added, the average did not exceed £2 113.

The Hox. Secretary explained that, in calling the public meeting for Wednesday, he had purposely worded the advertisement so that it might be left to the meeting to decide whether it should proceed with the election of a Committee at once, or adopt anything like the plan at the commencement of the public management of the institution, when a poll was taken. The Treasurer remarked that, of course, so far as the Committee were concerned, they had simply to go to the public. The Chairman had his doubts whether the public would come to the Committee. It was resolved that further notice of the public meeting should be given "by bell;" and the Committee adjourned. MEETING OF SUBSCRIBERS. As anticipated by Dr Giles, the public did not " come to the Committee " at the meeting appointed for last evening. There were not more than a dozen persons present for some time after the appointed hour of meeting. The Committee have more reason to congratulate themselves upon this fact than to complain of it. It showed at least that the public appreciate their management of the Hospital in the past, and have no great desire to interfere with their re-election for the future. Probably it also showed the public appreciation of the discomforts of leaving the home fireside on an evening when a few hours' exposure to the elements might reduce a man from the position of a subscriber to the condition of a patient. We shall not say that the public also appreciated the state of our columns, but there is no doubt that, had there been a prolonged meeting last evening, we might have been unable to do justice to the elaborate reports of the Committee, Medical Officer, and Treasurer. As it was, the dozen met, and were, fortunately, wise enough to believe the ambiguous compliment of their bell-man that "no man would be such a fool as to come out that night;" and on Mr Harris being called to + he chair, and on its being put to the dozen whether the meeting should be adjourned or not, two-thirds of their number voted for the adjournment. It was also agreed that the adjourned meeting should take place at the Court-house at 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Before dispersing, the numbers of the meeting were increased, and an honorable attempt was made to proceed with the business, but the original resolution was re-affirmed, and, in the interests of miners and others, it is, perhaps, as well that it was so, though there is no doubt that Mr Pitt and others represented the general feeling when they said that there was the utmost satisfaction with the management of the Committee who3e first period of office has now ceased.