NEW NURSES’ HOME.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 27 January 1926, Page 6

NEW NURSES’ HOME.

FOR PATEA HOSPITAL. THE OPENI XCI CEIIEM ON V . Residents oi' Patea and the suitoiiikling district yesterday attended at the new nurses’ liome. the opening ceremony oi which was periurmed hy Dr. T li A N'alintine, DirreGw'-fleneral <>l Health.’ 'rhere had been some delay in the comp'el ion oi the building, but. Finally a Fine two-storied brick and i'erin-con-creto Jiome has been completed For the nurses, ami standing on (lip rising ground in close proximity to the, hospital, the quarters will be- a great improvement on those which have had to do service in the past. At the entrance to the home is a plate on which is written “The building of this home was largely due to the dberality oi James Gibbs, Esq., who ■donated the site, and to the energy of the late. .1. J. HoJtham, Esq., Aiayor oi Patea.” The architect for the new work was .Mr T. H. James, oi Wanganui, while the contractor was Air J. \V. 'long, of Hawera. The furnishing of th e home was attended to by Messrs Geo. Syme and 'Co., of Hawera. The chairman of the Hospital Board, Rev. W. Watson, who presided at the ceremony, remarked that the occasion was a red-letter day for the district. The erection of a new nurses’ home was a matter that had been on the board for a number of years. In the .first place it had been held up for a con-

siderable time by the war, and at the conclusion of hostilities the question was faced again. .Difficulty was then experienced owing to no site being available. Then talk of abandoning the project arose, but popular opinion favoured the provision of good accommodation in order that the nurses could render the best service. The old nurses’ home was a considerable distance from the hospital, and this was a disadvantage in winter weather. The question of a site again presented itself, and a promise of sympathetic treatment from the Borough Council in connection with the reserve occupied bv the present site was obtained. The late Mayor, Mr Holt-ham, and Air James Gibbs talked the question of the site over, and the result was that Air Gibbs signed a cheque for the amount of the goodwill of the reserve. Negotiations for a good title, however, were he'd up, but- finally ihe present Prime .Minister said there was a possibility of getting a site through the Public Works Act. At length the difficulty was put out of the way, and Air Gibbs’ cheque was taken up, the Borough Council handing the section over for the sum of Is. In the meantime Alt' Holtham had been organising' meetings with a view to obtaining funds with which to build the home, but just then lie was removed by the cold hand of Death. Final'y it was decided to make an assessment on the local bodies for the balance of the money, and the result was the home, which stood ns a credit to the district.

Continuing, the chairman said that the contract price for the home was a little over £SOOO, and if there was any virtue in making haste slowly they con'd claim it. The building was commenced on October 15, 1924," and it did not come into the hands of the hoard until December 1 last. Furniture cost about £SOO, and tlie laying out of the grounds would be an expense, so that >•' the tim e all was compdeted it would cost about £6OOO. In conclusion, the speaker said that the next requirement. of the district was a maternity home.

Air .James Gibbs, chairman of tlic Patea County Counei 1 . said he believed that there was a considerable amount of money in hand for the maternity home, and he believed that there was money coming to the Hospital Board in various wills. He paid a tribute to the members of the board, who had held the funds for the nurses’ home together, and lie believed that in about two years they woukl be able to make a start with the building of the maternit v home.

When Air Gibbs concluded h e was given three hea.rtv cheers by the assembly, in recognition of his services and generosity. I>r. Valintine. Director-General of Health, said that it was with pleasure that lie had accepted the invitation to come to Patea to open the home, as some thirty years ago, in the course of his practice, he used to conic as far south as Waitotara. He was naturally anxious to see. the progress that the district had made. Proceeding, Dr. Va'intin.j, referred to the only two hospitals then in the province—the Patea hospital and the New Plymouth hospital. Subsequently a hospital had been opened at Hawera by the New Plymouth Board, and later another at Stratford. The old hospital at New P'vmouth had been replaced by a magnificent new building, and Paten now had a fine hospital. He remembered that years ago had been asked to report to the New Plymouth Board on the drainage arrangements, etc., at the Hawera Hospital, and he could not sav that the report was altogether favourable. -However. Hawera would shortly have an excellent hospital. At the conclusion of his speech. Dr. Valintine declared the home open. A number of people later gathered in the supper room of the Town Hall, where, at the invitation of the hoard, afternoon tea was partaken of. During the afternoon vocal.items were rendered h v A Tar ion Hamerton and Afossrs AV. Johnson and Afawhinnoy.