CONSUMPTION

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5557, 7 April 1905, Page 3

CONSUMPTION

LADIES’ COMMITTEE FORMED. A meeting of ladies was held in the concert room at the Town Hall yesterday afternoon for the purpose of forming a committee to the Conanmx>tive Hospital scheme. There were about seventy ladies present. Dr A. K. Newman presided, and Drs r Valintino (Assistant Chief Health Officer) and Collins were on the platform. Apologies were receiver! from Mr J. R. Firth and Mrs Rhodes. Dr Newman explained the object of the present campaign, stating that by the exertions of Dr Aalintine both Taranaki and Nelson had been persn.ided to erect, accommodation- for the treatment of consumptives. There wore in Wellington about 150 people more or less affected by consumption, unci of those some thirty-five or forty were absolutely indigent. _ Many of them were exceedingly anxious to get into tho country, where with fresh air Uiey might recover. Tho Object of the ■movement was to take these people out ■of the town. The result would be twofold. It would give them a chance to .recover, and would prevent them from spreading tho infection. The Wellington Hospital Trustees would take over the - management of three people and provide for their upkeep if the money was found for tho buildings. Tho idea was to .raise £2OOO, which witli the •Government subsidy .would amount to £-1500. and to build on the land attached to the hospital a number of 'ipen-air shelter sheds. Those who were to bo treated would bo sent to Otaki. The speaker said he and Dr l/alintine hud canvassed a little, and an a result they had banked £3OO, and received promise.-; of £7OO more. (Applause.)' They did not care to hold a bazaar, as there was to he one at Mister and one soon after; but he could nob foresee any difficulty in raising tho money. Of all the undertakings that had been promoted in Wellington for years and years this was quit© the most popular. They had met with no refusals at all. Ho and Dr Yalintino would approach the larger people, business firms, etc., and they asked the ladies to canvass tho smaller people. They would ask tho ladies to collect say £SOO. In shilling subscriptions Mono a committed of ladies had raised C 205 in little Taranaki. Dr Valintino said for the purpose of systematically canvassing tho city he had divided the map into about twentyfive districts, and ho wanted a lady to take charge of each. They would find, he thought,* that tho poor would give freely towards such an object. Some people might object to the hospital annexe on the ground that there would ho a danger of distributing the infection from it; but he reminded them that there was far less risk of consumption spreading if tho patients were gathered together in one place under proper supervision. There would be far less risk to tho community than if they were allowed to roam the streets, live •m boardinghouses and hotels, and sometimes occupy the same room as healthy people. The annexe would be •for tho consumptives of Wellington district alone. It was intended that tho other district hospitals should provide for their own consumptive poor. Taranaki had a consumptive hosnilal in course of erection, and Nelson would soon ho in the same position. There would bo no attracting of consumptives from other parts of the colony to Wellington. In fact. Hospital Boards and his department had full power to prevent that sorb of thing, and would strenuously oppose it. On tho motion of, Dr Newman the meeting formed itself into a Ladies’ Committee, and resolved to carry out the task allotted to it. It was mentioned that £IOO had hoen received from Mr- Sydney Johnston, of Takapau, Hawke’s Bay, and a similar amount was expected from the Savage Club. Mrs Wallis was elected chairwoman and Airs H. S. Wardell secretary to tho committee. A hundred collecting books, presented hy Messrs S', and W. Alackay, -were distributed.