GREY HOSPITAL BOARD

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21938, 12 November 1936, Page 4

GREY HOSPITAL BOARD

SERVICE TO MEDICAL SOCIETIES REPORT OF CONFERENCES PRESENTED A report on conferences with the different medical societies about their having a service with the hospital board instead of their present arrangements was presented to the monthly meeting of the Grey Hospital Board on Tuesday ,by the chairman of the board, Mr J. Smeaton. Mr Smeaton said that he had told the men that the board would give them a service from the hospital at a reduction of from 40 to 50 per cent, on what they were paying at present. This part of the business had appealed to them very much, he said, as some of them were paying more than £5 a year for medical and hospital treatment. The chairman said that with' the - orovement in travelling facilities a doctor could be obtained very quickly from the hospital. Some had thought that the board intended to do away with local autonomy in regard to their association, Mr Smeaton said, but it had been pointed out to them that there was no intention of doing that. They had been asked to give the matter very careful consideration and to put it before members.

The delegates had been told that it would take several months to reach finality If it were decided to adopt the scheme, Mr Smeaton said. Mr J. Mulcare said that as far as the board was concerned the hospital agreements could not be renewed at the present charges, which would mean an additional charge to the members of the societies. When the board had made the concessions to the mining medical clubs the coal raining industry had been in a bad condition, Mr Smeaton said. Since then the mining industry, thanks to the legislation passed last session, had had wages and conditions restored to the 1931 level; It must be remembered, hdweyer, that there was a smaller number of men employed. Assuming that one or two associations combined in circumstances favourable to working with one additional doctor, what attitude would the board adopt? asked Mr Mqlcare. As far as he was concerned, Mr Smeaton said, if any one or two were prepared to adopt the scheme ht was prepared to give them the same service as they were offering to .others. The committee of the New Zealand branch of the British Empire Cancer Campaign Society wrote stating thatit was anxious that all patients, whether in town or country, should benefit by the consultation services available at the main centres. The committee said that the various divisions of the Cancer Campaign Society were willing to help financially as far as was practicable in obtaining this result by supplementing in approved cases the expenses borne by the hospital board themselves. A recommendation from the hospital board concerned and the patient’s medical attendant would ensure the favourable consideration of the officials at the consultation clinics, it was said.

Advice that lot eight of part section 149, the roadway between High street and the hospital, had never been dedicated to the borough council, was received by Messrs Guinness and Kitchingham. They asked whether the board would be prepared to dedicate the lot as a public road.

After a discussion the chairman and Mr Mulcare were authorised to sign the memorandum of dedication. The reports of the medical superintendent, the hospital committee, and the finance committee were adopted.

ARMISTICE DAY AT GREYMOUTH CEREMONY AT CENOTAPH A brief ceremony was held at the cenotaph in Tainui street. Greymouth, yesterday to mark the anniversary of Armistice Day. The pupils of the Grey Main School were assembled by the headmaster, Mr J. Graham. There were also present the Mayor, Mr W. Meldrum, the town clerk, Mr F. H. Denton, Messrs A. H. McKane, O. McLean, and T. P. Ryan, president, vice-president, and secretary respectively of the Greymouth branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association., Before 11 o’clock, Jessie Patterson recited “In Flanders Field. ” Wreaths were laid on the cenotaph by the Mayor and Mr McKane, from the Mayor, councillors, and citizens of Greymouth, and the Greymouth Returned Soldiers’ Association. A wreath was also laid in memory of Captain T. Wyllie Rutherford. SERVICE CAR DRIVER FINED

As a result of a collision betweeh a private motor-car and a service car at the intersection of Russell and Fonblanque streets on October 31, Clifford H, Thomas, driver of the private car, and William Watt, driver of the service car, were each charged with negligent driving. The charge against Thomas, who was represented by Mr H. Lovell, was dismissed, the magistrate holding his act not to be the cause of the accident. In the charge against Watt, Sergeant King, who conducted the prosecution, alleged that Watt had been negligent in failing to give way to Thomas, who was approaching the intersection on Watt’s right. Evidence was given by Constable George, who produced a plan showing the wheel tracks and the position of the vehicles. Defendant, through his solicitor. Mr M. B. Scully, contended that he had no need to give way because if both vehicles had continued in a straight line no collision would have occurred, and that the accident was due to Thomas’s car being on Its wrong side of the street, and swerving sharply to the correct side.

Evidence supporting this contention was given by C. Howard, manager of Gibbs Motor Service, and K. Goodman. The magistrate said that in his opinion Watt should have given way to traffic approaching from his right, and fined Watt £2 10s and ordered him to pay costs.

A gift of a garden seat for the Westport Technical High School grounds has been received from a former pupil, Miss Iva Powick.