HOSPITAL TRUSTEES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 897, 10 May 1889, Page 19

HOSPITAL TRUSTEES.

An ordinary meeting of the Hospital Trustees was held Tuesday, there being present—Messrs F. H. Fraser (Chairman), Speedy, Taylor, Kebbell, Willeston, G. Allen, Luke, Dr Newman, M.H.R., and the Rev Mr "Van Staveren. A recommendation from the House Committee, that no further accommodation be provided for nurses at present, was adopted. The “liquor bill ” showed that during last month 21 patients consumed 148 pints of wine, spirits, and malt liquors, an average of 7 pints each, as against an average of 9 pints for the same month last year. It was decided to lease the native hostelry and land (Moles-worfch-streeb) at once for 21 years, with a renewal for 21 years, the question of the reserve price being referred to the House Committee for further information. It was decided to call for fresh tenders for washing, dating from the Ist June. The tender of Mr Deare for kitchen ranges was accepted. A discussion taking place on the advisableness of allowing the secretary to the Benevolent Society Trustees /to give tickets to outpatients, the Rev Mr Van Staveren said he was at the Benevolent offices every day between 12 and 1, and would be happy to give out tickets at that hour. It was decided to furnish the Benevolent Society with tickets. Tho return of patients showed that there were 107 in the Hospital at the end of April, an increase of two on the number at ' the same period of last, year. The Chairman (being invited, by Mr Allen to make a statement) said the Trustees’ expenditure was not extra, and had been gradually decreasing, although the patients had been increasing, since 1885. That it might be greater than in other parts of the Colony was possible. There were reasons why it should be so ; for instance, for eggs and milk, two very common articles of consumption, the Wellington Hospital paid L4OO more than the Dunedin Hospital, although it only consumed the same amount. Any extravagance must be in the dietary scale, which was ordered by the honorary staff and was no doubt a liberal one, that scale and the nursing being the best in the Colony. In the way of poultry, for instance, perhaps where a patient in Dunedin would be allowed two he would be given a dozen here. As to the death-rate, it stood to reason that it must be larger where more important cases were treated, and it was a fact that people came from all parts of the Colony to the Wellington Hospital. They had 90 patients now from outside their district. He thought the ratepayers would wish to see their hospital well conducted, and would rather pay a little extra for it than for a town hall. (Hear, hear.) The Rev Mr Van Staveren thought they should not take the trouble to refute these statements. There was evidently some “ move on the board,” tho object of which, like moves on a chess board, you could not understand. The Trustees had done their duty as public men, and there ( was no need for them to take notice of statements such as were referred to. He did not think the Mayor had ever been in the Hospital at all to see whether or not it was efficient. In committee, subsequently, the Trustees appointed Dr Ewart house surgeon. There were two other applicants—Dr Moor, of Tauranga, and Dr Chilton, of Feilding.