THE MACARTHY HOME

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 51, 23 November 1917, Page 3

THE MACARTHY HOME

ITS SCOPE TO BE ENLARGED TO TAKE IN CONVALESCENT WOMEN Regarding the Mncarthy Home for the Coiivalescent'iGhildreu at Belmont, the Hospital Committee reiwi'ted to the liospitui and Charitable Aid Board as follows afc yesterday's meeting:— "That Mr. and Mrs. Akhurst had resigned their positions of caretaker and cook respectively at the Alacarthy Home for Convalescent Children at Belmont, and that the report (as under) for the future conduct of the working of this home be adopted :—(a) That the future conduct of this home ho entrusted to a small committee (similar in its functions to the Otaki Hospital Committee), consisting of Messrs. Baldwin and M'Ewan; that the appointee who lias to loolc after' the grounds and the external portion of tho house report fortnightly to such committee as to tbe work done and the requirements (if any); that such report be sent through the sister in charge of the home and be dealt with by that committee, (b) That an ineligible single man or widower with not more than one child be. appointed at a salary of £2 per week with accommodation at tho gardener's oottagd and meals provided. That his duties shall be to milk, attend to vegetable garden and the grounds, poultry, chop necessary firewood, clean windows, and 'generally look after the external portion of the home. With regard to tne fruit trees, expert assistance be given him at the proper, seasons, and that two weeks' annual holiday be granted. (0) That the appointment and management of the inside .staff he in the hands of the matron of the General Hospital.

"That in view of the faot that there was a good deal of accommodation at the Macarthy Home unoccupied, the trustees of the T. G. Macirthy Estate be approached with the object of obtaining (if possible) their consent to the enlarging of the scopp of its present purpose by permitting a certain number of convalescent women to be located there."

The chairman reported that since, the home had been opened'the total number of children received there had been 81, which included six children nominated from outside. The cost of maintenance had been £157 ■ 45., < and the amount received was £20 6s. Bd. Tho home had cost the board'£39o to date, so that it had been a dead loas to the board of, £370. The committee now recommended a diversion from its original intention from being an institution for children only, and make it a convalescent home for women and children. Mr. F. T. Moore congratulated the committee on its recommendation. Hβ did not think the home had been a popular institution owing to the restraint put upon the children.. The children were not allowed to go hore or there, or tamper with the shrubs, and never were allowed out lvTien it was the least bit damp. The chairman: That is absolutely incorrect. Mr. Moore said- that from information he had received and from personal observation he believed that what he had said was true. He was glad, however, that a wholesale change /was going to be made that was likely to 'make it a proper home for children. To admit women to the institution would bo an excellent thing, ds they would soon voice the wrongs that children could .not. He hoped that, when, the trustees of the Macarthy Estate were approached, they would see tho matter in that light.

The Rev.- H. van Staveren said he was-exceedingly sorry to see the attitude Mr. Moore had. taken. As a father he must know that a certain restraint must be exercised over children when in a convalescent stage, and that in view of the danger of a relapse it was not rigEt to allow children to roam about at will when the ground was damp. It was quite right that they should be kept in qn damp days. Mr. Moore should be one of the last to say that children should have unrestricted freedom when convalescent from illness. Mr. F. Castle said that Mr. Moore was entirely wrong and that he had been misinformed. The chairman eaid that he lived within ten minutes of the home, and know as much as anyone about it. Ho had often been up there, and not seeing the children about had .inquired where 'they wer«, only to be informed that they were out in the paddocks. He had questioned one little chap as to whether he wanted to go home, and he had replied that he would sooner stay where he was. He woukl content himself by saying that Mr. Moore had been entirely misinformed. The* position was that the home had cost the hoard £370 for ten months, and he maintained that if it had been the means of saving only two or three lives it was money well 'spent. (Hear, hear.) Still if had not been the success that was pnticipated, and they now proposed <hat it should be open to women as well as children, and he formally moved the adoption of the recommendation authorising them to approach the Macarthy trustees on the subject ' The recommendation was adopted on the voices, as were other clauses of ■the report concerning the Macarthy Home. s