A HANDSOME GIFT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16842, 28 April 1915, Page 7

A HANDSOME GIFT.

YARD FOR INCURABLE CASES,

ASHBT7RTON LADY DONATES

£BOOO.

.-,cbeck- on the proposal. to : erect i'Mki'd 'for incurable cases atth© hospital; dde' to'th© failure to secure the ( feiffr made late Mrs Townond, hafc been, overcome by a handsome gift from/Miss. Jane, Chalmers,' of " HolmAshburton, the details of which ,v njey,e •made.' known to • the Hospital' Board yesterday in the following, letter from ; MeWs i Cuningham ; and Taylor, i^Jicitprs,.:^—;',;..'. .'--'-.■••- ~.: . : The Chairman, : North Canterbury Hospital and . , Charitable Aid Board, ' .. ■' , V Christchurch.

/ Dear Sir, — " ~.' ! '.We aire instructed, by Miss Jane , Chalmers, of " Holmwood," Ashbur- ' ton, to state that she -is willing. to ; donate to the; Board any sum that may be' required up to £BOOO, for .the purpose of building and equipping at .the Hospital a ward for incurable Oases. Our client desires the' ward to be a memorial to her uncles," 'the late Messrs ' John and Peter 1 . Chalmers, and that it shall be known as "The Chalmers Memorial Ward 4 for Incurables," the same to be erect- •;•'"■ Zed "on the site of No. 1 .Ward, now /being demolished. We understand the donation will carry 24s in the £ subsidy from the Government,which, i ' should the sum of' £BOOO bo fully> required, .will > render available tho sum of £17,600 for the purpose-qf : building /'and equipping a complete ,b and up-to-date ward for the piirpos* aforesaid. It is the wish of ouj* client s HBat all poor patients from' the" Ashburton Hospital and Charitable Aijl. ' 'district be given such'special privi,.V leges as the board has power to grant,, in the way of reduction - and j "- remission of the usual'charges mado , to patients. If our client's offer .bo j ' accepted, thii money will be'available-; y- as required by tho board, and ;proV| -vision has been made to secure the ' sum for the purpose mentioned should ; ■■< any- unforeseen event occur in: the; meantime. ! Jours faithfully, 7 j Cuningham and; Taylor. ■ j : j' Christchuroh, April 28. "" "' • j t Tho chairman, (Mr F. Horrell]) mov«tli i'-V-" That the board,, in accepting Miss .; 'CbalmefsVmbst generous ■ off ox, desires a-to convey, through,. her solicitors, ~'Messrs Taylor and its grateful and sincere thanks and very i biafc appreciation of her noble and wag"rifioent gift,, and assures her that, the) : fcoard will, as.far as possible, endeavour ; to carry out her wish in every detail With the utmost expedition . after-sub-mitting plans, etc., for her approbatibM; and further hopes that she will {loaour the board hy> being present, to ay the foundation stone of tho. build- r ng she is so handsomely providing. -., *L he. board sincerely trusts that Miss Chalmers may live for very many years and'witness with satisfaction, the inest., *timabl© boon she is conferring on auf•fering humanity by her -munificence.''' V*v : Mr HV J. Otley seconded tho mo•A§ion.! ■■■.'■■■'' '■' .'■■■'■ F Mr H. B. Sorensen referred to the' large sum'collected for the erection of \ a chronic ward, and remarked that those who had given to that fund might , bo,disappointed that the, gift would fakd-its place,' but he would' suggest that- the women who had controlled " the fund should be asked if they would tho.'money to be used in another direction, say a women's ward. -The gift would pnable the Board to •rect a/ ward twice the size the board , lj»d<proposed to put up. <v , ~ j

Christchurch would not object to Miss Chalmers's gift taking' the pj*:ce of the money subscribed. The Christchurch fund might be used for the establishment of a maternity ward. Mr J- D. Hall suggested that the Christchurch women's funds should be used for 1 ; the maintenance of , tho proposed. Chronic Ward, which would be built and equipped out .of the noble gift. The ward'was not merely a matter of bricks and mortar, and he felt sure that if, the, women's fund was used in maintenance the work of the ward would bo much.better. It would make the ward brighter and would enable the board to maintainit in the fullest accord with : the spirit of the gift: The .chairman remarked that tho women controlling the fund admired the gift, and would be pleased to,see that, their wishes were being carried out. Their only fear, was that as tho money had been donated- for a special purposo it could only be used for it. The money was for buildings and could not bo used for maintenance.

The board appointed the chairman. Mesdames Wilson and Christie and Messrs H. B. Sorensen and J. D. Hall to meet the ladies' committee with reference to the disposal of the funds collected by them.

PROPOSED DIVERSION OF FUNDS DONATED.

SUGGESTED WOMEN'S. WARD. The Hospital Lady .Visitors. Association wishes to inform all those-who so kindly and liberally assisted in its endeavours to obtain funds for the muchneeded Chronic \ Ward that owing to the fact that the Hospital Board has ■accepted the magnificent offer, of-Miss Chalmers .to build ahd thoroughly furrush a Chronic Ward in a manner far beyond the means of - the Association, tho money already received will not bo .required for the purpose tfori,which it was-given. A proposal for rising the funds to build a' special ward for Women has been suggested, and if any contributors ohjeo't "to this their donations will be returned on application to Miss Tripp, 30, Holly Road.