THE LAKES HOSPITAL DISTRICT.

Lake County Press, Issue 1064, 14 May 1903, Page 4

THE LAKES HOSPITAL DISTRICT.

At Thursday's meeting of the Hospitals and Charitable Aid Board (says ;he Southland Times), consideration"

was given to the requisitions from the Arrow and Frankton Hospitals for £520 and £945 respectively. The chairman had been commissioned at last meeting to visit the hospitals and obtain information on various points. In reference to the Arrow Hospital, Mr Bain said that everything seemed to be in good order. The trustees were carrying on very well indeed, and the requisition seemed necessary for the working of the institution. The s amount seemed a little higher than usual, but it must be remembered that the Arrow had on several occasions asked small amounts, and one year made no requisition at all. One good feature was that they were very good' indeed with their patients' payments. . The surroundings T'ere ?ery good, and the baiidings nicely painted and well looked after.— On this explanation the requi&ition was agreed, to.—The secretary submitted the followiug return, showing the amount spent in the Lakes district over and above the amount raised there and subsidies granted ;—Tn 1897, £429 Is was lost ; in 1593, £ls lis 4d gained ; in 1899, £417 8- 8d lost; in 1900, £779 15s 9d lost; in 1901, £622 16s 4d lost; in. 1902, £471 19s 6d lost. Total loss, £2705 9s lid for six years.—The. Chairman stated that this year the Frankton trustees sent in a requisition for £945, and after visiting and inspecting lha place moved that—- " Whereas the Southlaud H. and C.A. Board deems the amountof a requisition made to them by the trusteet of the Wakatipu Hospital for the year 1903 to b« excessive and unreasonable, this Board, being the District Board, ex-. presses its dissent to the Colonial Secretary, and appeals to him to direct an inquiry to b« made as set forth in section 60 of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act 1585."< One it a m of the requisition was £3OO. for getting water laid on, but after inspection he thought the Board certainly could not agree to that amount being spent for the purpose. At present they had a supply from one of the finest sources in Now Z ;aland—the Kawarau Falls—which was tapped by a pump capable of lifting 1500 gallons pur hour. It. had been claimed that owing to the fall of the Like level at. certain perio.l3 there would be no. water to work the waterwheel in connection with the pump, but that could be easily remedied by cutting a channel and deepening the race. The hospital only required to use the pump once a week to till the tanks. The. supply contemplated in the new scheme was fully three miles from the hospital. Hi understood the trustees had no rights at all so far ;.dhe pipes would come through private property and, considering the excellent supply already in use and the few pitients the hospital had, it seemed a waste of miney togo to such expense. He had secured quotations for pumps suitable for fire purposes (which was one of (ha trustees reasens for bringing the. new water scheme in) cipabie of lif.iug SO.gallons p>r minute for £6O 10s, and for £IOO, it could be ».>.t up at the Falls, and do nl! that was required. There was very.

iitfclo need for the trustees to bring water from outside their own property. Another item was £7O for medical comforts, which would nquiti) exp.anation. He was quite satisfied that ths Commission appointed would be with tho Board and that they would never agree to such a requisition. —Mr St. Omer said that be could not explain, the item of £7O for medical comforts, but in regard to the water supply, there was a lift of 185 feet from the Lake to the hospital. When tho lake was low the water would hare to be carted. The trustees were very reluctant to make the application, and would not have done so unless it were absolutely nocessary. They recognised that the hospital was a necessary institution, and if a difficulty was made in the payment of the requisition they would have to find tho money, and »o on as before.—Mr Day seconded the motion. The question remained in the hands of the trustees, and if they could see their way to amend the requisition there would bo no need to go to the Colonial Secretary.—Mr Bain said that no previous requisition had charged a single penny for carting water.—Mr McGruer said that the amount of money that went to the Lakes District was out of all proportion. —The resolution was carried and, on the recommendation of the chairman, it was decided that proceedings be stayed for 14 days, the trustees to he given an opportunity to amend the requisition. —In reply to Mr McGruer, the Chairman stated that he had had the question of amalgamation of the two hospitals under consideration. He was of opinion that one institution should be sufficient, as tho distance between them was only seven or eight miles, and it was simply a case of public money being wasted, while two institutions were maintained there. The Board were powerless to act as.the law stood, and the only way he could see to meet the difficulty was to got a private bill through the House to amalgamate the institutions. He was thoroughly convinced that one hospital was enough. From conversations with people in the district it appeared that one of the hospitals was built there as a means or getting a subsidy towards securing the . services of a medical man. As to the hospital to be closed that would be a matter for the* Board to say.—Mr McGruer said that a good deal of time and caro should be given to this question, and it was advisable to leave it over till it was seen what action the trustees of the Frankton Hospital took in reference to the previous matter. The Boaid were there in the interests of the public, and it seemed to him that money was simply being thrown away. The district would be equally well served by a combined hospital, aud it would be less expensive to the taxpayers —The matter was then deferred jbill next meeting.