HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Press, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5140, 23 February 1882, Page 3

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

An ordinary meeting of this Board wai'; held yesterday afternoon at the Hospital? Present—Messrs H. Thomson (ohairman), W."j Montgomery, J. G. Hawkes, and the Mayors • of Sydenham, Christchuroh and Lyttelton. The minutes of the past meeting were read,' and oonfirmed. ; It was stated that the Hospital expenditure* for the year 1881 was £4730, as compared* with £4693 for 1880, and £5300 for 1879, and; that the increase of tbe past year over the; preceding one was mainly due to a very full; supply of drugs being obtained, the saving in' salaries during the latter period amounting to" £163. I The Hospital oommittee reported that* during the fortnight ending February 18tb?i nineteen patients were admitted into the Hos-1 pital and twenty-three discharged, leaving' sixty-three patients in the institution. During, tbe same period one death occurred. For the corresponding period of last year there were fifty patients in the Hospital. A letter was read from the secretary to the. Blenheim Hospital forwarding £9 15s for maintenance of John Sloan in the Christohnrch Hospital, requesting that he be sent to Pioton as soon as he was fit to undertake the; journey. The secretary stated that Sloan had; Deea sent to Picton by the s.s. Hawea.

It having been proposed to erect new ser-J vants' hall, kitchen and outhouses as addi- 1 tions to the Hospital buildings, the plan of whioh was laid on the table, Mr Hawkea stated the oommittee would hand in its report of same at the Board's next meeting, and the matter was referred to them to report upon. Dr. Turnbull called attention to certain offioersof the Hoapital being absent therefrom from two or three o'olock till half-past ten or eleven in the evening. After explanations by Mr J. E. Maroh the question was referred to the Hospital oommittee to report at next meeting. It was stated that two patients were at present in Akaroa Hospital. The Mayor of Lyttelton reported that he' had sent a destitute fever patient to the Casual Ward at Lyttelton, in consequence of Dr. Bouse having stated she would be well in a few days, therefore he had treated it as a oase of emergency. The following letter was read from the Education Department, Wellington, re the Orphanage school:— Beferring to your letter of 17th October, 1881,1 have first to explain tbat delay of reply has arisen from Mr Dick's desire to have full information as to the state of the Lyttelton Orphanage with respect to the education of the children. The Inspector-Qrneral ef Schools reported on the institution in November, but it was thought desirable to wait for Mr BesteU'a detailed report of examination. That report has now been received, and I send a copy for your information. Mr Dick directs mc to represent to you the great economy of teaching power that would result from having the boys and girls tanght together, instead of in separate rooms and classes as at present. In nearly all the primary schools the boys and girls are taught together,' and no inconvenience is found to attend the following of the same practice in the industrial schools of tbe colony. If the school were tbus reorganised and an assistant master, at about £100 a year, added to the staff, the teaching power ought to he adequate to the production of very good "results." The additional expense would be treated in the same way as the other ordinary expenses of the institution, or if your Beard saw fit to send the children that have passed the first standard to the Lyttelton publio sohool, the Kduoation Board woud receive the statutory grant oi £i 15s for every child in average attendance. It this plan were adopted, it would not be necessary to strengthen the staff, but it would still be most desirable to teach the boys and girla together until they had passed the first standard. Mr Bestell's report was also read. The Mayor of Sydenham said this report was entirely at variance with hia personal knowledge, and also with the verbal report of Mr Habena, and would move—"That Mr Heslop's letter be referred to the Orphanage oommittee," The motion was duly seconded and agreed

It was reported that the present number of inmates in the Ashburton Home were 32, and that one death had reoently taken place there. The eleotion of clerk and collector to the Charitable Aid Board then took place. Mr James E»oott, of Tinwald, being chosen out of 66 applicants. Mr J. Alexander's salary was inoreased from £140 to £165 per annum, and that of tbe master and matron of the Armagh street Depot from £109 to £125 a year. Several eases for charitable aid were considered in committee, after whioh .the Board adjourned. 1 .■!■ II I i ffl-^saatg