ASHBURTON.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13908, 6 December 1910, Page 9

ASHBURTON.

At a meeting of the Ashburton Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday it was decided to deposit at call with the Ashburton Borough Council, at 3i per cent., the sum of £1000 out of the £1350 the Board had received as its share of tbo liouid assets of the old North Canterbury and Ashburton Board.

At the meeting of the Ashburton Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday, Dr. Hunter, the house surgeon, reported that there were 14 patients in tho hospital at the end of October; 22 were admitted during November, 16 wero discharged, and two died, leaving 18 in-patients on November 30th, Five operations were performed during the month. One of the deaths took place a few minutes after tho patient was admitted. At the meeting of the Ashburton County Council on Friday, a letter was read from the Mount Hutt Road Board drawing attention to the recent case of the drowning of a child in the main water race at a point about sixty chains above the township, and in the same race which runs in a wide, deep, and open channel down to the very centre of the town. Mr John Lambie, the chairman, expressed the opinion that the case was of such a serious nature that steps should at once.be taken by the Council to visit the locality as a body and devise some means of minimising the danger. Accordingly the members of the Council left Ashburton soon after noon yesterday by motorcars, and were in Methven a few minutes after one o'clock. They were tho guests of the Mount Hutt Road Board nt luncheon, during whichA Mr W. J. Dickie, chairman of the Board, took an opportunity of thanking the members of the Council for their prompt action in the matter. Mr Lambie having briefly replied, the party proceeded to inspect the race and to see for themselves what could be dove to prevent, as far ns possible, a recurrence of any serious accident. Subsequently the Council met the members of the Road Board in the Road Board office, whero the whole matter was gone into at considerable length. It was generally acknowledged that the present condition of the race was a great source of danger, and also that the problem was a difficult one to solve, 'ilie races in the first instance had been taken through the town at the special request of a number of the property owners, and these owners still wanteu a isupply of water to be carried dowr. the present channel, though, of course, they were anxious to have all danger to lifo obviated. Several schemes were suggested, and finally it was decided to instruct the county overseer to prepare estimates of the cost of the schemes and report at the next meeting of the County Council. At the first meeting of tlie new Ashburton Hospital and Charitable Aii Board, Mr Hugo Friedlander was selected chairman, but tho legality of tho, election was taken exception to by several members of the Board, and as a consequence the question came up agajn at the monthly meeting of tho Board held yesterday, when a letter was read from* 1 Dr. Valintine, the InspectorGeneral of Hospitals, in which it was stated that the matter had been referred to the Crown. Law Officers, and that it was now a matter for the members of the Board to decide who shall be their chairman. Mr Friedlander thereupon vacated the chair, and on the motion of Mr J. Lambie, seconded by C. J. Harper, was unanimously reelected. The chairman then reported a credit balance at the bank of £161<j, and that since last meeting tho sum of £1479 17s Bd, including £33 0_ od for patients' fees, had been received. He further reported that at the last meeting of the Board the matter of obtaining a prompt settlement with the North Cai-terbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was left in his hands. Immediately after the Board rose, he had put himself in telegraphic communication with the secretary of the Christehurch institution named, and he was. pleased to say that the £13-f<o agreed upon as the Ashburton Board's share of the liquid assets of the old united Board, was paid to him in Christchurch two days after. A few members of the Christchurch Board, however, still persisted in charging the A&hburton Board with sinister motive*, and stubbornly opposed tbe final payment of an amount which waa a long way below the Ashburton Board's just and equitable share. The Board then proceeded to deal with a quantity of routine business, and after passing accounts amounting to £171 5s sci, adjourned.