PATIENTS AND PRISONERS' AID

Evening Star, Issue 19891, 13 June 1928, Page 11

PATIENTS AND PRISONERS' AID

MEETING OF THE SOCIETY The monthly meeting of the committee of the Patients and Prisoners’ Aid Society, held yesterday, was attended by'the chairman (Mr E. A. Rosevear), Mrs G. Roberts, Mrs E. C. Reynolds, Sir George Fenwick, Messrs A. Kilgonr, F. W. Mitchell, J. Taylor, D. E. Theomin, I), Todd, W. L. Logic, C. B. Smith, W. (low, E. E. Nicolson, E. R. Smith, and E. R. Grace. The General Secretary (Mr F. G. Gumming) reported as follows for the past month: — A good deal of time was taken up collecting at Port Chalmers, Portobello, and Broad Bay. The result will bo very fair when finished, as T have to return for gifts promised at a later date. AH these are sure. The people wore kind in their reception, and also in their inquiry into the society’s work. It is hardly necessary to say that i made the most of such inquiry to give them the fullest information. I am-pleased to report that during the poriocl under review there has been a fair number of patients in residence at the Rest Homo. A number of these come from the hospital after serious illness, quite unable to do anything for themselves in the way of getting a chance to recuperate. Here is where our home is able to open its doors. Our guests are grateful for the change given. There can be no doubt about the usefulness of our Warrington institution. Tiie committee is fortunate in having such a matron. Her knowledge of nursing is of the utmost importance to the institution. Accounts amounting to £25 14s Sd were presented at the Convalescent Home Committee meeting, and were passed Repayment, and sent on to the Finance Committee. A largo number of people have been helped during the mouth at an expenditure of £43 17s Sd. It must be remembered that included in this amount is a large share of £25,_ for a special case, which came in during the month. I may state that this is not the only occasion that your agent has been trusted to distribuc similar amounts on special eases. The amount given for charity is spent on boots, tiring, food, clothing, and railway fares. In every case careful inquiry is made by your agent, this being necessary in order to avoid overlapping. I should also state that in my general charity-giving you will gather from my book, which is placed on the table, that the amounts given are in no case large. The amount spent runs at something _ like £3OO a year. This is not much in excess of the amount spent twelve or even fifteen years ago, when everything was infinitely cheaper. I really cannot see how it is possible to come below the amount stated in my charity expenditure. The Hospital Committee hold its first meeting on Mav 31. Mr H. H. Driver was reelected chairman. It was reported by your agent that the usual hospital song services had been carried out in each ward of that great institution with great pleasure to the patients and staff. 0 It was also that Mr Elliffe, a member of committee, bad taken out the Musselburgh Presbyterian Church Choir to the Waitati Mental Hosnital, and gave a nrst-class concert, Mr H. H. Driver presiding. It was a real treat to the patients. A suitable motion of thanks was passed to the choir, and your agent also_ sent a letter in the name of the committee. —The report was adopted. The Finance Committee reported that Mr C. Clark had started at the Powell Rest Horne as a permanent worker on May 1. He had done good work durum May in trenching some ground for potatoes, and had dug most of the vegetable garden and tidied up the place generally, besides doing other work. He had erected tho cowbyre, pigsty, henhouse, and finished the work shed for use on wet days. The total cost for material for these was under £2O. Ho had also put in four new clothes posts in a better position for drving, and had dug a pit for disposal of ashes, etc.—The report was adopted, and Mr Blackic was added to the committee.