WESTPORT HOSPITAL COMMITTEE.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 550, 2 September 1869, Page 2

WESTPORT HOSPITAL COMMITTEE.

At a meeting of the Hospital Committee on Tuesday evening .Dr Giles was in the chair. The other members present were Messrs Munro, Humphrey, Alcorn. Powell, Harris, Simpson, Sheahan, Tyler, and Whyte. The meeting had been specially called for the purpose of electing a successor to Mr Harris as Hon. Treasurer. Mr Harris, who had voluntarily resigned the office, proposed as Treasurer°Mr. It. C. Reid, and that proposition, seconded by Mr Powell, was carried ; and Mr Alcorn, on the proposition of Mr Harris, was appointed Auditor. This concluded the specific business of the evening, and, Dr Giles having other engagements, Mr Alcorn was appointed Chairman, when it was agreed to proceed with other business°arising out of the incidents of the month. Mr Munro, as Hon. Secretary, stated the amounts which he had received as subscriptions and as maintenance money from those who had been patients in the Hospital. The duty of paying maintenance money was, he said, one which was frequently neglected or evaded, and he thought that every publicity should be given to the fact when patients recognised in some way the .benefits which they received. He suggested that a vote of thanks should be given to the Amateur Dramatic Club for the contribution which they were, by their performance, instrumental iu procuring for the Hospital. A motion to that effect was proposed by Mr Tyler, seconded by Mr Humphrey, and unanimously carried. Mr Harris gave notice that at the next meeting he would move that the meetings of the Committee should be monthly; and Mr Tyler gave notice that he should move that the meetings be held on the first day of each month, except when that date fell on a Sunday, when the meeting should take place on the following Monday. The Hon. Secretary read a letter from the House Steward, Mr Poole, making application for an increase of salary, and for some improvement in the accomodation with which he is provided at the Hospital; his present apartments being unfurnished in any way, and occasionally occupied by dying patients. Mr Harris suggested "that the proper course to take with a view to the consideration of the letter was to receive from the Visiting Committee a report on the subject, and Mr Sheahan suggested that the Committee should consult on the subject with the Medical Officer.

[Our reporter was unfortunately compelled to leave in the midst of an animated argument on points of order

in connection with some confused motions and amendments on this very probably, though not palpably, important subject. He is informed, however, that ultimately it was decided lo receive, at least, the report of the Visiting Committee on the matter. Another matter ©f prolonged and animated discussion was the amount of allowance to be made to Mr Haskins for subscriptions solicited and collected by him on the northern terraces, amounting to £8 odd. The discussion, we understand, terminated before midnight, and some allowance was ordered to be paid. Our reporter states that, from the spirit evinced in the Committee up to the time he left, there is little fear of any abuses arising in connection with the institution, but he adds that there are good reasons for hoping that the Committee will carry Mr Tyler's contemplated motion —that its meetings should be regular and monthly.]