BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.

Evening Star, Issue 8408, 8 January 1891, Page 2

BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.

The annlial meeting ol subscribers arid life governors of the Benevolent Institution was held in the City Council Chamber this afternoon, Mr A. Solomon, chairman of the Trustees, presiding. There were some thirty-five gentlemen present, including Messrs Torrance (chaplain), W. Secular, J. Mills, M.H.R., W. D. Stewart, J. Roberta, C. M.G., J. Hazlett,R. R.M. Sutherland, W. Brown, F. E. Chapman, C. Allen, J. Green, C. Haynes, 6. Bell, B. Chisholm, W. Swan, H. F, Hardy, M. Fagan, .H. 8. Fish, M.H.R., W. Dawson, M.H.R., P. Miller, W. Elder, and His Worship the Mayor. The following letter from Dr Stuart was read:—

Dear Sir, —I am sorry that two eng*gements have sprung up whfoh will prevent my attending at the annual meeting of the Benevolent Institution. 1 regret this very much as I would ’ike to bear testimony to the admirable manner in which the Institution at Caversbam is conducted. Every room from the basement to the ceiling is kept clean and sweet. I was struck with the tidy appearance of the bedrooms, large and small. The beds, made up by their owners, old and young, are kept neat and clean. The coverlets, plain but warm, contrast with the white sheets and pillows. I was delighted to find that there is quite a number of small rooms where two or three that are frail may have a fire and oomforis which cannot be obtained in a ward with seven or eight beds. I was specially delighted to find fire escapes so placed that all the inmates on the second and third flats in the event of a fire can pass out in a few minutes. I found that the children are trained to use the steps of the fire escapes. I was permitted to see a dozen or two of boys In little over three minutes run up the stair, enter by the window, and then come out and down orderly and without any pushing, and stand on the ground. In less than five minutes they had the hose fastened and squirting a steady stream of water. The quarters of the old men and women are plain and comfortable. I was glad to see them plainly but comfortably dad. On asking how the luxuriant kitchen garden and flower plots were cnltivated and kept In order, I was assured that the greater part of the work is dene by the men. In fact, I saw a number working among the vegetables. The flower plot of the cottage is kept in perfect order by an Inmate who works on bis knees. The children are pictures of vigorous health. Having known a dozen of them before they became inmates, 1 had some difficulty in recognising them from the striking improvement in their physical condition. To a question abont the training of the girls, I was assured that none were placed at service till they learned to work in the kitchen and scullery and the other parts of a housemaid’s duty. I was delighted to find that the Institution is inn on lines which secure comfort and kindness to the inmates equal to what are found in a well-ordered cottage, and at the cost of 6s 4d per inmate, including attendance, bedding, clothing, etc. As one who has known the Institution from its beginning I do not hesitate to say that as regards cleanliness, comfort, kindness, and order it is most satisfactory, and is a testimony to the wisdom of the management. In Mr Solomon (the chairman) we have a man who is clear-headed, prompt, and derisive in action, and who takes a delight in seeing the inmates, whether old or young, oheerful, contented, and happy. lam sorry that I cannot be present to bear my testimony to the continued wise management of an institution that Otago has been proud of, and which has had for its chairman men of the character and kindness of Messrs Strode, Martio, Bennie, and Solomon. —Tours truly, D. M, Stuart. ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report, which was published in our columns on Tuesday last, was taken as read. THE CHAIRMAN’S ABDHE9S. The Chairman said: Gentlemen,—The Trustees are happy to meet the subscribers again, and it will not, perhaps, be out of place if I give you some account of the OPERATIONS OP THE PAST YEAR. Since oar last annual meeting additional accommodation for women and children has been provided at the institution, including two commodious sleeping wards, a hospital ward for females, and six small rooms for special female cases. Special attention has been paid to ventilation and general sanitation in these wards and rooms. The fire escapesystemhas been, lam glad to say, completed, by the erection ef external iron fire escapes, accessible from every window of the new wards. With these escapes I should think that, In the event of a fire, any loss of life would be highly improbable. During the past year application was made to the Trustees for the admission of four discharged lunatics from the Seaciff Asylum. I may say, gentlemen, that I quite sympathise with 1 r Macgregor in his desire to free the asylum from those harmless lunatics. There can be no doubt that their presence tends to overcrowd the asylums; that they are quite unfit persons to remain in an asylum ; and that their own chance of recovery is lessened by their association with violent lunatics. I may remark, however, that the Victorian asylums are in exactly the same position, and that the superintendents there are as anxious as is Dr Macgregor to be rid of these harmless lunatics. Of course, the proper solution of this difficulty would be the erection of an institution for the care of these kind of cases, as is done in other countries. In America there are two kinds of asylums—what are called State asylums, which are ordinary lunatic asylums, much the same as Seaoliff; and county asylums, into which imbeciles and harmless lunatics are received. In England the arrangements are of a similar character. Harmless pauper lunatics are in the metropolis provided for in the institutions under the Metropolitan Asylums Board. These are the Leavesden Asylum, near Watford (Herts), and the Caterham Asylum, Surrey, The inmates must be insane panpers, who ate such harmless persons of the chronic or imbecile class as could be lawfully detained in a workhouse, but no dangerous or curable persons such as would require to be sent to a lunatic asylum.—(l am quoting from the ‘Charities Digest and Register,’ 1890.) The decision of the Trustees in these cases, in which decision I cordially concur, was that their reception was beyond the scope of our Institution. DESERTED WIVES AND CHILDREN,

The subject of deserted wives continues to give the Trustees considerable trouble, and the law on the matter seems very unsatisfactory. There is much reason to believe that there is often a very perfect understanding between the husband and wife before the former leaves hia home. I propose to draw the attention of the Trustees to the manner in which these cases are now treated in England. There the only relief that is given to a deserted wife and children is a home in a workhouse—no outdoor relief is given in such cases. Understand, gentlemen, 1 am not prepared to say bow far snob a rule would suit here; but I think the propriety of nsing it in suspicious cases is worth the consideration of the Trustees. Permit me to again quote from the ' Charities Digest’:—"There is often collusion between the husband and wife. The offer of the ' house ’ is a wholesome check in wife desertion, for the husband is likely to dread for bis wife and children the alternative between the workhouse and desertion, but not the alternative between desertion and charity, or outdoor relief. Speaking at a recent meeting of the North-western District Conference of Poor Law Guardians, Mr Henley, one of the general inspectors of the Local Government Board, said: 'Before 1871 there was a general disposition on the part of the Board of Guardians—in the centre of England, at any rate—to give outdoor relief to deserted women. A conference was held to consider the question, and after immense discussion the Conference came to the conclusion that deserted women should be relieved only in tha workhouse. The consequence was that they rarely now heard of women deserted by their husbands. There used to be more women deserted by their husbands In Birmingham than in any other place in the Kingdom. He did not say that desertion had decreased, but he did say that the cases of desertion that came before the guardians had entirely disappeared.’ ”

THE AUSTRALASIAN CONFERENCE ON CHAR ITT that met recently in Melbourne had carefully considered this subject, and upon the advice of the Superintendent of the Victorian Police Force had passed this recommendation: —“ That this Conference suggests to the legislative bodies in each colony that maintenance orders made in any one colony against deserting husbands or father 1 of families, or putative fathers of illegitimate children, be enforceable in any other colony on the original order, and that power should be given to issue maiutenanre on.U i>, wh re intention to desert is shown. <», in rue d-'.ft-U'knt’a ab.-o-mv, if hoh .vo left t-o, colony; and that power Mmnld be given for the issue and enforcement of maintenance orders against deserting mothers.” I can only say, gentlemen, that I shall be delighted to see some system adopted by which the taxpayers may be to some extent relieved from the heavy cost of keeping deserted wives and children. THE INMATES AS TOTIBB.

Some remarks have been made as to the Inmates of the Institution having voted at the recent general election. The Trustees feel, gentlemen, that so long as the Farlisment of the country confers upon a man the right to vote, no impediment should be placed in the way of his exercising that right. I believe, however, that under the new Hospital and Charitable Aid Act parsons living in charitable institutions are not allowed to vote.

A WBBI. I am glad to be able to inionri yob that An old resident of DnnecUn named Hunt, recently deceased, has bequeathed to the Institution the snm of L 250. COST or OUTDOOR BELIEF. Every effort is made by the Trustees to keep down the cost of outdoor relief. Ton will observe, gentlemen, that outdoor relief cost L 375 less in 1889 than it did in 1888: and it has cost L 325 less in 1890 than it did in 1889 - a fall of L7OO in two years. DEATHS IN THE INSTITUTION. Yon will observe that there have been twenty-two deaths in.the Institution doting the year. The ages of the deceased inmates were:— Between 40 and 60 1 „ 50 „ 60 .. 8 „ 60 „ 70 5 „ 70 „80 _ 9 82 .. 2 88 .. 1 89 1 •22 These inmates suffered from . consumption, cancer, bronchitis, paialysis, disease of tho heart, and, of course, old age, and were mostly incurably diseased when they entered the Institution. Ton will be able to judge from the list of deaths the class of cases admitted into our asylum. COST OV MAINTENANCE. The weekly cost of the maintenance of each patient is 5a Id, and when you remember that this cost includes food, clothing, boots, taxes, gas, water rates, medicine, bedding, cooking and table utensils, fuel —and we have sometimes fifty fires burning in the winter—salary of master, matron, doctor, and servants’ wages, insurance, and tobacco, and that the inmates eat as much as they can, I think yon will admit that the Trustees are not extravagant. Von will notice from tha report that the gross cost of the Institution is over 1.500 less this year than in the previous one. CONCLUSION. I am glad to say, gentlemen, that the Trustees have every reason to be fully satisfied with the strviees of Mr Ololee and the other officers of the Institution. Our business here to-day is to adopt tbs annual report, and to elect two trustees in place of Messrs Charles Haynes and 'William Brown. I beg to move the adoption of the report. Mr Hardy seconded the adoption of the report, which was agreed to without discussion. ELECTION OF TRUSTEES. Mr Hardy said that after the graphic letter just received from that able and critical observer in matters of this sort, Dr Stuart, and from the observations that the chairman had favored the meeting with with regard to the Institution and its workings, they could not do better than elect the two gentlemen who had served them so well during the past year viz., Messrs VV. Brown and C. Haynes. He had much Sleasure in nominating them, and in so oing desired to add his own testimony to the fact that the Institution was conducted on the most economic lines. Mr Pdddt proposed Mr M. Fagan. A ballot resulted as follows: —Mr Haynes, 29; Mr Fagan, 26 ; Mr Brown, 24. Messrs Haynes and Fagan were therefore declared elected. MEDICAL REPORT. The Medical Officer (Dr De Zoucbe) reported that his duties began at the Institution on June 11 last. Then, as since, he found every part of the building in excellent order, thoroughly clean, and the rooms well ventilated, with the exception of the lyingin wards when the windows were ehut, ventilators being at once supplied on the facts being represented. Apart from the chronic complaints, by reason of which so many seek a home in the Institution, the general health of the inmates had been good. There was one case of typhoid, that of a child admitted abont a week before the fever showed itself, from a dirty home, where no doubt she contracted the fever poison. One patient, an old man affected with gangrenous inflammation, had been removed to the hospital, where he died. Another man suffering from Bright’s disease, who had been admitted from the hospital, was returned there, he reqairing a night nurse and special care. One woman, a lunatic, who could not be controlled by untrained persons, was removed to the Seacliff Asylnm. A man suffering from chronic nicer of the leg had been discharged cared, and was now earning his livelihood. The chronic diseases, such as confirmed rheumatic gout, nervous diseases, paralysis, etc., while susceptible of alleviation aa to their more painful symptoms, offered little or no prospect of permanent cure. The arrangements for the comfort of such patients and of the inmates generally were excellent, and seemed to be appreciated by them. The children were well looked after and seemed to be bright and happy. There had been twentyeight lying-in patients, amongst whom were the usual proportion of difficult cases, fortunately, however, with good results. One grave operation—namely, Caesarean section performed by his predecessor!Dr Stenhouse) was quite successful both as regarded mother and child. Mrs Mee had a thorough knowledge of the duties of nurse iu lying-in cases, and in sick cases generally. He (Dr De Zouche) was glad to avail himself of the opportuity of testifying to her kindness to the patients, and to her fitness for the position she holds. One girl who was confined seemed a mere child, and stated that she was only fourteen years of age. It was greatly to be wished that our legislators could see their way to raising the age of consent, as he was convinced that many of the young girls who became mothers were quite unable to protect themselves. He would add that both Mr and Mrs Mee appeared to exert themselves to carry out every suggestion for the well being of the inmates.