THAMES HOSPITAL BOARD

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4988, 16 June 1926, Page 1

THAMES HOSPITAL BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. ROUTINE BUSINESS. The regular meeting of the Thames Hospital, a,nd. Charitable Aid Board was held on Monday, there beifig present : Messrs W. E. Hale (chairman), J. W. Danby, W. J. Hdjl, A. R, Robinson, P. E. Brenan, E. L. Walton, C. W, Parfitt, J. Rowe, C. W. Kennedy, J. Lange, C. W. Parfitt, and the secretary (Mr G. Tonge). ELECTION OF MEMBERS'.

The Thames County Council Advised that Mr W. J. Hall, Matatoki, had been re-elected .to represent the county on the board. The Ha.uraki Plains County Council advised that Messrs E. L. Walton, WE; Hale, and C. W. Paj-fitt had been ejected as county representatives on the board.

Mr Danby, on behalf of the board, warmly welcomed the members who had been returned, and said he felt sure that their local body experience; Would' stand them in good stead. He trusted that their term on the. board would be fraught with pleasure and profit to themselves and to the rater payers.

The chairman and Messrs Parfitt, Walton, and Hall returned thanks and acknowledged the welcome. CONSUMPTIVE MAORIS.

The Minister of Native Affairs replied to the board in connection with the payment of fees for four Maori girls who were from the board’s district and who were now receiving sanatorium treatment. The Minister pointed out tha.t the Natives Department was already paying £3600 a year to the Department of Health towards the cost of medical treatment iff Maoris. It was regretted, therefore, that it was not possible to increase, the amount thus paid, nor to accept liability for the fees of tubercular Natives receiving treatment in sanatoria. Mr Danby pointed out that so long as the reports from the doctors at tne sanatoria were satisfactory it was all right, but in the evejit of the progress being stationary it would be more adr vantageous if the Natives were treated at the board’s shelters at the institution. The chairman agreed, and said that thq whole business was a costly one to the board, but apparently it would have to >face the expense. SUBSIDY CLAIM. The Department of Health advised that the board’s claim for subsidy amounting to £BOl Ils Id had been offset against the advance; of £2OOO made to the board. The balance of the. advance outstanding was £ll9B 8s lid. DRAINAGE RATES. The solicitor to the Horahia Drainage Board wrote asking for payment o>f 13s 2d, being due for drainage rates. The chairman said that the rate was due on the board’s section tit Kerepeehi. It was contended that the board was exempt from payment of 'rates up to 100 acres, and it was resolved to reply stating the section of the Act under which the board claimed exemption. BENEVOLENT LEAGUE. The Hauraki Ladies’ Benevolent Le;ague forwarded accounts totalling £8 14s 7d, and requested payment of the usual donation. —Granted. SUPERVISION OF BUILDINGS. The secretary intimated that the contractor for the new isolation ward building was asking for a progress payment, which had been authorised by the department’s architect. Mi Kennedy said that no doubt it was quite in order to make a payment but he. thought it was not right that there was no clerk of works. The board was spending thousands of pounds sterling on buildings, and it was very desirable that there should be someone in authority on the job besides the contractor. Mr Danby said that there was no intention of casting any reflection on the integrity of the builder, but he agreed with Mr Kennedy that it was decidedly unbusinesslike not to have a clerk of works. A principle was involved, and such 'an appointment was desirable and in the best interests of all concerned. The chairman explained that the work was being carried out by the department, and not by .the board. Samples had been taken of the concrete mixture for the. foundations of the, building, and this had been approved. The department’s architect bafl aUeady visited the job twice, and lie was expected again next week. Admittedly the request ifor a progress payment should have been accompanied by a certificate from the architect, but verbal instructions had been received from the architect by the secretary to make an advance, payment. Mr Rowe thought the department’s methods were rather slipshod. COMMITTEES. The following committees were set out for the month : District Homes, Messrs Parfitt and Hall; Hospital, Messrs Robinson and Lange. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £lOlO 2s were passed for payment.