CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 852, 29 June 1888, Page 23

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL.

A meeting was held at Government House last Friday afternoon to receive the report of the Ladies’ Furnishing Committee of the new wing of the Hospital. Present—Lady girvoia (the President, in the ohair), Mrs , Ffsher, Mrs, S. Brown, Mrs J. C. Harris, Mrs Sidey, Mrs S. Anderson, Mrs

Van Staveren, Mrs Curtis, Mrs Felton, Mrs Maxwell, Mrs Habeas, and Mrs Francis (Secretary). The minutes of last meeting were read and coufirmed.

The report of the Ladies’ Furnishing Committee was then read, printed slips having been furnished to the Committee by the forethought and kindness of Mr Chantrey Harris. The report was as follows : —“The "Ladies Furnishing Committee of the new wing of the Hospital have the honor to report as follows to Lady Jervois (the President) and the General Committee :—There has been some delay in the completion of the work, which is attributable to, in the first place, the longer time taken than was expected to make the furniture ; in the second, to the uncertainty which surrounded the Government subsidy. We have, as it were, been working .in the dark as to means, and labored under some apprehension as to finoncial results, Which did not by any means lighten labors that, from the first,were arduous in the extreme, and lacked sympathy where we looked for it—but to this we refer further on. We will now describe in detail what we have accomplished. There were two wards to deal with, one for boys aud one for girls, and for these we provided 12 cots and 12 small bedsteads (24 in all). The latter not being procurable in New Zealand, have been ordered from England through a Wellington firm, and have not y et arrived. Each cot and bed is provided for as follows :—Chain and horse-hair mattress, one wool, one kapoc pillow, six pillow slips, Bix pairs sheets, two pairs best Pitone blankets, two honeycomb quilts, six calico night-dresses, three flannel night-dresses, three flannelette day-diesses, six towels, one locker (kauri), comb and brush, cot tray and headboards, and strip of carpet. We have ordered 12 gmoro cot quilts from England, being only able to obtain 12 in the Colony. The wards have been covered with the best linoleum, except under the beds, where it is stained and varnished. There are also three nursery fenders, 20 small forms, 10 easy chairs (of different sizes), three large carpet rags in front of fire-places (for children to sit or lie about on). The three pasages are partly covered with light-patterned linok-um, the. sides varnished and stained. In the shortest passage we have had a cupboard erected to keep the toys in. Best coir mats are placed in all the doorways. In the entrance hall a very sub. stantial rail has been placed for the outpatients' coats, umbrellas, etc. The outpatients’ room is covered with linoleum; cane chairs, large, table, clock, fire-irons, ooal scuttle, etc., are also supplied. The consulting room is covered with linoleum, and furnished with surgical couch, -revolving ohair, a leather-top table, clock, fenders, etc. The dispensary is ■ also covered with linoleum, and a properly fitted counter, etc. The stairs leading to the nurses* bedrooms are partly covered with linoleum, the sides being stained and varnished, as is also the passage upstairs, The nurses’ bedrooms (twenty in number) will be a great boon to those ladies, and, though small, are most comfortably furnished with one inch tubular iron bedeteads, chain and horse-hair mattress, wool and kapoo pillows, best Pitone blankets, twill sheets, aud pillow slips, knitted quilts (six feet square), best tapestry carpets, chests of drawers (kauri), cane ohairs, looking glass, four towels, washstand, eta. The windows and wardrobes are hung with Erenoh' dimity washing curtains. The tables (two) in the wards are made low, aud covered with Amerioan oloth, so that the convalescent ohildren may play without restriction with their toys. There is also a oonveniently-fitted surgical table, filters, eto. Touching the two wards we thought it advisable to place a door of communication between the wards as well as a curtain, so as to quite close the entranoe if necessary. We may also point out that we went to considerable expense in making two wards out of three rooms. Complaints have been made at our deviating from the uniformity in furnishing and fittings, so observable in other parts of the Hospital. In the old passages and wards the linoleums are of a dark brown, and the lp.ckers, screens, &0., are stained a dark color. In the new wing the furniture is made of kauri (varnished only); the linoleums are bright and endurable patterns. In fact, we have chosen everything with a view of making the Children’s Hospital cheerful aud homelike, nud that is our reason for deviating from the style of the othpr paints of the Hospital. Mr Martin very gene.rously illu. minated the two large windows and glass Joeys of the Ufard. Many thanks arq due to Mr 3 Batkin, who has been working for a long time to provide pictures, and toys for the amusement of the children. The pictures are nicely framed, and add greatly to the appearance of the walls. The vases aie a present, kindly sent by Mr Flookton and Mrs Grady. Another report to our detriment was in connection with the painting of the walls of the wards. This charge was Utterly baseless. The walls were painted to the order of the Hospital Trustees, and that the, paint subsequently peeled off was clearly no fault of ours, for we had nothing whatever to do with it. In conclusion, we wish to draw your attention to the very i annoying and misleading letters whioh have appeared at different tim.ca in the Press and Po3t, also to false and unfair reports circulated by persons who should have known better, and who wo were under the impression were working in conjunction \ylth us’. However, when we tell you that an'unsuccessful tendefer had beep asked, to | criticise on a portion of t.hp, gopda. which had been sent on approbating apd, which, we had not then inspected, you will agree with us that o/itioism from, such source was not 1 WCJfth npjticihg. On consulting with our ; president, Lady Jervois, as to the advis-. blppess of taking any notice of these, letters and reports, we came to, the. conclusion that when our work was finished, we would invite | the subscribers, to. inspect and judge for j themselves as, to the goodness and suitability i of our purohases. To, assure the subscribers, ' aud in justice, to. ourselves, we asked Mr G. Brown, ' well-known, in Wellington as a thoroughly practical upholsterer (though now retired from business) to report, as an impartial expert, on the furniture. As we wished the chests of drawers to correspond with the other furniture, Mr Flookton very obligingly exohanged those first sent, which were stained a dark color and made of

a mixture of kauri, red and / yellow pines (not white pines, as reported) for twenty chests made entirely of kauri. We had great difficulty in procuring goods in quantity according to samples chosen. We have been greatly helped in our principles of: economy by the liberality of the tradespeople* who in most cases have charged ns wholesale prices, giving their profit as a donation to ‘ the fund.’ The estimates presented by the Trustees at the first general meeting amounted to £450, but as their list did not include the furnishing of two wards, swe have exceeded that amount considerably. The amount collected was £424 lGs 9d; the Government subsidy, received on the 15thJune, amounted? to £SOB 8s 6d, making atotal of £933 5s 3d. We have spent £682; Is 6d, which leaves a surplus of £251 3s 9d, We particularly wish to mention the courtesy we met with from Mr Fraser, the Chairman of Trustees. Trusting our efforts will meet with your approbation, we beg to remain, yours faithfully, (Signed) “ Emily Brown. “ Elizabeth Harris. “C. A. Francis, Hon. Sec.’’ The report was adopted, and a hearty vote of thankß awarded to the Sub-Committee. A difecussion then took place as to what use the balance of £251 3s 9d could be put. Mrs S. Brown proposed endowing two cots for 21 years each. This was considered as the most suitable use to put the overplus. The remaining £sl 3s 9d will be handed over to the Trustees as a fund to supply any poor children with necessary clothes on their leaving that institution. It was decided to name one cot “The Jervois Cot ” in the girls’ ward, and one cot in the boys’ ward to be “The Mayoress’ Cot,” the Governor’s lady and the Mayoress of the time having the privilege of nominating the occupants of each cot respectively. It was decided that the new wing should be opened by Lady Jervois on Thursday, the 28th.

The meeting expressed their thanks to* Lady Jervois for the interest she had taken in all the meetings, and expressed a wish that she would be abla for a long time to exercise her right to nominate for the Jervois* cot ; also acknowledging her judgment when appealed to for advice in the many annoyauees the sub-committee have met with.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Mrs Habeas, and seconded by Lady Jervois, to Mrs Batkin, for the supply of toys. A vote of thanks was passed to the several ladies who initiated the scheme, especially Mrs Felton and Misß Bonghton. Votes of thanks were also passed to Mrs Grady and Mr Flookton, for their presents of vases ; to Mr Maitin, for illuminating the window and door of the girls’ ward ; to the papers, for their printing, &0., free ; Mr Page (hon treasurer), Mr Fraser (chairman of Hospital Trustees), and Mr Francis (hon, see). ■ -

PUBLIC MEETING AT PITONE.

THE LICENSING COMMITTEE AND THE RATEPAYERS.

A public meeting was held at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Pitone, last Friday night, for the purpose of considering the action of the local Licensing Committee in granting, at the last annual meeting, a license to the Victoria Hotel, and inf refusing two otherapplications. There was a large attendance* fully 200 persons being present. Mr W. J. Kirk was voted to the chain. He explained that it was originally his intention not to be present, but at thejjre*. quest of a gentleman who bad waited on him that morning, he had decided to .attend, but on the understanding that the object of the meeting was really to ascertain the opinion, of the ratepayers oa the action of the licensing Committee at tho annual meeting. He understood there was considerable dissatisfaction over the matter;. He called on the (-promoters to address the meeting. Mr Witcher then Amoved -a resolution to the effect that tho ratepayers of Pitone disapprove the action of the Licensing Committee in granting a license to the house known aa the Victoria Hotel. Mr Hess Beoonded the motion. In reply to Mr Edmunds, the Chairman said he did not know who the promoters were.

Mr Hess said he was one, and the others were Messrs Mothes, Walsh, Masters, and l Culvert. He went on to say that ho cou- ! sideved the Victoria Hotel totally unfit for ai pubho-house. It was nothing but a shanty* —(hear, hear) —and there were other houses; far more suitable. Mr Wylde said if the ratepayers were no& satisfied let them ask the Committee to resign, and then they could elect another oneA Voice : It’s too lata now. Mr Masters said the whole object of the meeting waa to ascertain whether the rate* payers were satisfied with the action of the* Committee. They had thrown, down then challenge and the other sida should take it? up. 1 Mr Wylde said as. they had elected tho Committee, they had* given them power to* aot as they fiked. (No, no ; hear, hear. > . The Chairman expressed the opinion that? only ratepayers should interfere with then matter. Mr Mothes thought thej! residents should i have a voice in the meeting as well as the I ratepayers,, as it concerned them. Mr Witcher explained that the (principal objections of those who convened the meeting waa that the Victoria Hotel did not comply with the terms of tho Licensing Aot, while the other houses did. So far as they could see it waa all made and planned fiefore-.. hand.

Mr- Masters stated that it was the in.’cen* tion, of those dissatisfied to test the act'.oa off the Committee in the Supreme Court.. In disoussing the question as tq, whether* residents as well as ratepayers Should voteon the questions before the meeting, the* Chairman said he thought a. resolution, carried by the ratepayers, would 1 have more* weight. On being put to the-meeting it- was? decided that; resident* should* vote on the re* solutions.

There were seyet&l calls for members of the* Committee, to which, however, there was no* Mr- Wylde asked why tiny

members of the Committee had not been asked to attend. The resolution was then put and carried by a very large majority, ionly four voting against it. Mr Masters then moved, “ That the rato. payers and residents of Pitone, in feeling most dissatisfied with the action taken by their present Licensing Committee on the 35th June, have no further confidence in them, and therefore respectfully ask them to resign.” . - Mr Culvert seconded the motion.

Mr J. Curtis, a member of the Committee, here came forward amidst great applause. Before the resolution was pat he asked the meeting to exercise a little common sense. (“ That’s right.”) He said there must be a majority, and because the ’matter had been decided on a casting vote, they wore going to ask the whole of the Committee to resign. There was another way of looking at it,- The Committee had given their reasons for their objections, and therefore the ratepayers should assume, {as they had pnt the Committee there, that they had done their best for them. He thought they should give the matter a little more consideration before carrying Buch a resolution as that before the meeting, and he suggested that the mover should withdraw the motion.

■ Mr Curtis, in replying to the Chairman, said he did not feel disposed to answer questions with regard to what took place at the meeting. Mr Blake thought great credit was due to Mr Curtisjfor coming there to defend the rest of the Committee. (A voice :It was plucky!) ' Mr Mothes endorsed this opinion. Regarding the granting of -the license he did not think it was a straightforward' action. Mr Masters said ho saw no reason why they should rescind the resolution. There were, however, {two members on the Committee that, they had no objection to, and if those two stood for election again they would go in with flying colors (Applause.) He went on to say that he had seen the Chairman- of the Committee, and had “given it to him straight.” Mr Bennett, as a resident, did not see that any good would come of asking the Committee to resign now. In reply to a question, Mr Masters said the sole reason of going to the Supreme Court was to test the legality of the Committee’s action.

The resolution was then put and carried, only three voting against it. Mr Walsh, then moved, “That, in the opinion of this meeting, we strongly recommend our member for -the district to nse his best endeavors in the House of Representatives to abolish the present system of licensing committees, and to adopt the old style of the resident magistrate and two commissioners." Mr Culvert seconded the motion. Mr Stansill expressed the opinion that the action of licensing oommittees had frequently been cavilled at, and not without reason, for they often showed favoritism. All the licensed victuallers wanted was a fair field and no favor,, and they did not get it. The motion was put and carried without further Aisenssion.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman brought the proceedings to a close.