CHILDREN'S WARD

Grey River Argus, 17 June 1933, Page 6

CHILDREN'S WARD

Effort Adjourned IN favour of mayor s fund APPEAL. A meeting was hold in the Town Hall last evening for the purpose of furthering the proposals for the raising of funds to provide Children’s Ward al the (I rev Hospital. The Mayor (Mr .1. W. Greenslade) presid ed over an attendance of sixteen, including the Borough representatives on the Hospital Board (Mrs K. O'Brien, Messrs R. Barrowman, J. Kyle and .1. B. Kent), and the, DeputyMayor (Mr F. A. Kitchingham). Apologies for absence were received from Mr .1. O’Brien. MJ’., and Mr..l. L A. MuKeefry. The Mayor, in welcoming those present. said that an unfortunate position had arisen in that he was making an appeal on behalf of the Greymouth unemployed. and it would (dash with the Hospital appeal. The Mayor's Bund’ was practically exhausted, and if they did not get funds soon they would have Io close the depot. In order to prevent this his Committee had a-r--range.l a Carnival in an endeavour to raise between £5OO and £6OO. to tide them over the next six' months. It was a quest ion, of which was the more urgent appeal, the unemployed, or the Children’s Ward. Mi Barrowman, speaking for the Hospital Board. agreed with the Mayor that a difficult position had .••risen. 'The meeting had been called to sec whether the public wished to go on with the Children’s Ward (d’fort or not. In reply to the DeputyMavor (Mr F. A. Kitchingham) he said that the Board did not have any | definite amount in view. Mr Kyle said that the proposition was io build a ward that would accommodate between fourteen and sixteen children, estimated to cost between £lOOO and £120(1 for a permanent structure in brick. Mrs O’Brien said that the Board had applied to the Government for grants for the building, bill on the last occasion they had been told Io try ami raise the required amount voluntarily. The Board intended to do that, but thev did not intend to clash with the Mayor’s effort. of which she was quite in favour of taking precedence if it was the more urgent. Mr A. Smith (Organiser for the relief depot) said that the unemployed were in sympathy with the Children’s Ward appeal. He asked that the Chil dren’s Ward appeal be postponed in the meantime. Mr W. Watt (official of the Grey I’.W.M.) supported the remarks of the previous speaker. The Deputy-Mayor said that, after listening to the speakers, it seemed to him that Ihe only thing Io do was to allow the unemployment effort to go first, lie suggested that the Hospital Board should find out the actual cost of the Ward. <«.s they had to have same definite proposal to put before the public. Mr Kent said that when the Hospital had commenced (heir effort they had not known that Ihe Mayor’s campaign was to be run at the same time, :>nd from what he had heard he did not think it possible for the two to be run together. Tn fact the Board would not have it so. As far as the Ward was concerned the building of it would absorb a number of the unemployed in legitimate employment. The Deputy-Mayor suggested that I°r that reason ihe Board should en-de;-.\our to obtain a subsidy from the (love rn men t. The members of the Board assured him that they had made endeavours, but had found that it was impossible Io get a subsi<ly. The Mayor said that ho considered that there was something wrong that a subsidy could not be obtained. 'Pho Mayor, in reply to Mr Barrowman, said that it was expected his el’-' tort would be finished within two months. On the motion of Mr Kyle, seconded by Mr Walt, it was decided Hint those present form themselves into a committee for the Children’s Ward appeal, but that they adjourn for six weeks, until the conclusion of the Mayor’s effort, Mr Kyle u, be the convenor of the next meeting. The Mayor thanked those present for their attendance, on behalf of the unemployed workers and himself. He thought that their action in post pan- . ing the effort was the best advertisement that they could have had. He was sure hat the unemployed would appreciate the action, «n.,, that when the Hospital appeal came along it would bo supported handsomelv.