PALMERSTON NEWS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6313, 13 September 1907, Page 7

PALMERSTON NEWS

(From Our Own Correspondent.) PALMERSTON,' September 12. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD. At the monthly meeting of the Hospital and. Charitable Aid Board to-day, communications were to hand from .Government House, stating that his Excellency the Governor would visit Palmerston on the 25th inst. for tho purpose of opening the new hospital ward. With reference to the proposal to call it “Tho Royal Alexandra Ward,” it was pointed out that it would be necessary for his Excellency to bring the matter to her Majesty’s notice through the Colonial Office before permission could be obtained to use the prefix “Royal.” The Board was informed, however, that there should be no objection to tho ward being known as “The Alexandra Ward,” the Governor promising to bring the matter to .the notice of the Queen, and to explain the circumstances under which the ward was built. The Fohangina County Council forwarded cheques for £94 8s 8d and £2 9s lOd, being instalments of levy for hospital maintenance and charitable aid expenditure and levy for maintenance of the Infectious Disease® Hospital respectively. The Foxton Borough Council also sent,in the amounts or its annual levies..

Reporting upon the Board’s ambulance van,. Dr Wilson, one of the: medical staff stated that ho had found that the cost of a reliable motor vehicle would bo prohibitory. He, therefore, made a number of suggestions for the improvement of the vehicle now in use, the Board deciding to have same carried out.

The relieving officer reported that ho had dealt with seven “casuals” during the mouth.

The matron’s report showed that on August Ist there were, thirty-seven patients in the institution. During the month thirty-eight were admitted and forty-one discharged, leaving thirty-four in on the 31st.

In respect to a letter Jrom tho Inspec-tor-General, asking for particulars as to levies made and struck for the present year, the Board expressed th© opinion, by. resolution, that it was desirable that Rongotea should bo grouped with the Manawatu county and Halcomb© with the Oroua county, and, further, that separate representation should bo granted to th© boroughs of Foxton and Feilding. . ■ It was decided to ask the Rongotea Town Board to pay its levies forthwith.

A deputation, headed by the Mayor, waited on the Board, and asked it to make provision for incurable cases of consumption, preferably in the vicinity of the hospital. The Mayor stated that, if the Board were to favourably consider the suggestions, he and many others would do their ,best to obtain financial assistance to carry the project out; .

During a discussion which ensued, it was pointed out that the presence of incurable consumptives constituted a distinct menace to tho health of the community, and that at tho very legist the BoartT should provide some place where they could end their days in peace, and without danger to others. Reference was made to the fact that the cost of maintaining a distinct sanatorium, as some had suggested, would be almost out of the question, as it would run to £IOOO, and perhaps £2OOO, per year. It was decided to approve the proposal to provide accommodation for incurable consumptives by moans of an annex to the present hospital. The trustees of the Sanatorium Fund are to be informed of the decision and the reasons leading thereto, and asked to be good enough to use their influence with tho subscribers to get the funds now in hand placed at the disposal of tho Board for the purpose.

It was also decided to authorise the executive make inquiries on the subject of th© law relating to consumption, with th© object (it necessary) of calling a conference of th© local bodies of the Wellington, Taranaki, and Hawke's Bay districts to discuss the project of a cosmopolitan sanatorium. The accounts paid totalled £557.

A juvenile lodge has been formed in connection with the Oddfellows (American Constitution) Lodge here. Bain, which has been falling on and off for tho past two days, set in in earnest this afternoon, and is now* coming down incessantly. Should it continue much longer fears are entertained that a flood may result.