HOSPITAL SATURDAY.

Evening Star, Issue 12101, 6 November 1908, Page 7

HOSPITAL SATURDAY.

A THOROUGH CANVASS OF TOWN and country" to be made . ' THIS YEAR. Air G. C.Ttracl (president) occupied the Ahnir at a meeting of the Hospital Saturday Association members and supporters, held in .the Town.-Hall last night. .About seventy ladies were present; also Dr Batchelor, Dr Will, Dr Falconer, the ■Hon,. J. B.- Callan, Messrs W. L. Ingle, 1 J. E. Bono, W. T. M’Farlane, C., Speight, D. Harris Hastings. R. Rutherford, A. E. Tapper, G. Fenwick, C. R. Smith, and E, S. Wilson (secretary). The apologies included messages •or sympathy and promise from the Mayor'of Dunedin, the Hon. J. A. Millar, the Hon. J. T. Paul, and Messrs Jr F. Arnold and A, R. Barclay. • ■ ■ The Chairman mentioned that the societies to be benefited by the collection .-now included two very deserving institutions—the Karitane Home and the Hospital for Incurables—but it was anticipated that there ■ would be a largely increased contribution this year, thus enabling the Association to 1 meet those further claims. He desired also to point out that on business questions • Only subscribing members were entitled to vote. He wished to make that plain. The subscription minimum was only a shilling. The Committee bad met frequently, and. sub-committees had been formed to complete the organisation for the collections to be made in the City. On Monday next a party would go north as far as Palmerston, and another would go southward as far as Milton for the purpose of making arrangements for canvassing. Others had been canvassing the factories and offices, and everyone would have an opportunity of contributing to this desirable and laudable work. This Hospital Saturday was a project that must grow: This year more complete arrangements would be made for canvassing the suburbs. Some of the best workers in the suburbs had in the past come into the City on the day to help their friends in town. That would have to be arranged in some way that would meet the wishes of ladies who desired to come to town and at the same time enable them to work in the suburbs. Dr F. C. Batchelor was invited to say a few words on the necessity foir an improved out-patients’ department at the hospital. He said that in a modem hospital, besides the essentials, there were a great many requirements that added enormously to the comfort and welfare of the patients, and it seemed to him that they could ask the benevolent public for assistance to supply such requirements. We had the foundation of a very fine hospital. The wards were excellent—as good as any in Australia—(applause)— this being due to the generosity of the public, and not obtained out of the ratepayers’ pockets. Still, there were a large number of improvements that would add to the comfort of the patients. The Trustees and the staff had come to the conclusion that the most urgent requirement was a new out-patient department. They wanted wards for open-air treatment, verandahs, and things that possibly the public might regard as luxuries, but really were not luxuries, since they would help the treatment. Our out-patient ward was the worst in New Zealand. The Governor, who was a man of wide experience, had condemned it when paying the place a visit. It consisted of a large, barn-like, cold waiting-room, and off that a consulting room, wherein all cases had to be treated. There was no dressing room, the arrangements for wanning were very poor, and altogether the out-patients’ department was a disgrace, in which the work could not bo efficiently done. The Trustees had gone into the matter very carefully, and had had a scheme drawn up for an out-patient department that would answer the purposes. If this scheme were carried out the present bam could be utilised as a very good reception room for patients suffering from accidents, and for the many friends of patients who now had to wait about anywhere. The Trustees considered that the out-patient department was one of the additional comforts that should come within the scope of the Association. The Hon. J. B. Callan expressed his satisfaction at hearing that one of the objects of the. Association was to assist the Karitane Home. This home was for the protection of infant life, and apart from the humanitarian aspect of the question, to protect infant life would bo a great advantage to the Dominion, because what we wanted here was population, and we were not getting it. The warmest thanks were due to the ladies and gentlemen who had taken the movement up, and also to those who took part in the Saturday collection. He was glad the movement this year promised to be such a success. The Mayor of St. Hilda (Mr M‘Fariane) said he had attended the meeting with the object of gaining information. So far as St. Hilda was concerned, ho felt sure the residents would be very pleased to do their utmost to help forward the object in view. Mr Rutherford said that nothing had been done at Caversham so far, but a meeting would bo called shortly. Mr G. Fenwick said be thought that from the very outset the organisers of the Association had displayed an activity and energy in their work that should command the approval of all. Ho felt quite sure that a wise move was made when the operations of the Association were extended to other societies. The chairman mentioned that Mrs Hicks and Mrs Kirkwood, of Mosgiel, had offered the use of horses and vehicles for the purpose of malting the collection in Mosgiel, and that Miss Snow would be glad to take charge of a box at Outram. Mr Tapper said if anyone had any doubt as to the wisdom of including the Hospitaller Incurables among the objects of the Association they should pay a visit to the wards. Most of the inmates were without friends. If they had friends they would not be there. Mr C. R. Smith said that the Rev. Mr Kinmtmt had said he would do everything in his power to help the collections at the Taieri, and would find several ladies who would assist them in that district. Mr Neill had also voluntarily promised the same thing at Outram. The workers at Hillside were helping again this year, and altogether the outlook was very hopeful for a record collection. Dr Will, speaking on behalf of the St. John An liUancc Association, said that the nurse bad paid 210 visits to the sick poor, and did a great deal of good and relieved the hospital considerably. Their transport waggon had been utilised fortyfour times during the month, and it was necessary to build a new one, and they hoped to have another one so built that they could utilise the railway for long distances. The waggon had been taken to Middlemarch station, and a patient transferred without any shifting whatever to the hospital door. No matter how , clangorous the condition of persons might be, they could be thus transported with absolute safety. The chairman announced that Mrs Gloss, Ill's Batchelor, and Mrs Israel would provide the usual tea in the afternoon, and all the restaurant keepers and many of the hotelkeepers had sent word they would provide afternoon tea and even meals if required. The meeting then discussed several detail business matters.