HOSPITAL BOARD

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11250, 30 June 1922, Page 2

HOSPITAL BOARD

FRIEENDLY SOCIETY'S PROTEST GOVERNMENT HELP WITHDRAWN The Wellington Hospital Board met yesterday afternoon; present—Mr F. Castle (chairman), Rev. J. It. E'lliott, Rev.. H. Van Staveren, Mrs Me Vicar, Mrs Snow*. Messrs J. W. Butler, C. H. Chapman. W. T. Cotton, J. Glover, C. ,M. Luke, A. J. McCurdy, G. Nash, G. Petherick.»E. Vine* and E. Windley, DELEGATES TO CONFERENCE. It was resolved that the chairman of the hospital committee (Mr C. M. Luke), the chairman of the social welfare committee (Mr G-. Petherick), the chairman of the board, the medical superintendent and the secretary be delegates to attend the ioint conference of hospital boards on July 13th. TO I ENCOURAGE THRIFT, A letter was received from the executive of the 1.0.0. F. protesting against the increase in the scale of fees. The chairman raid a misunderstanding had arisen, and he would ash the board to leave the matter in his hands, as it was previously loft to him to deal with. The period of the agreement was only for 18 months. The Rev. J. K. Elliott said he was totally opposed to tho principle of charging lower fees to friendly societies, as it was not a voluntary institution. He regarded the prinoiple as a vicious one. Mr Chapman said the idea was to encourage thrift, and this system of lower fees induced members of friendly societies to contribute when- they were in health towards the cost of attention, etc., when they were sick. He thought the matter should stand where it was for the 18 months and then review it if necessary. It was left to the chairman to deal wjth the matter. DEFAULTERS' REMUNERATION. The social welfare committee recommended that the board extend its support to the efforts of the North Canterbxiry Hospital Board by adopting the following resolution:—"That the Honourable Miniater-in-Charge of Prisons bo urged to amend existing legislation so as to provide that defaulters in the matter of maintenance orders shall be employed on some form of Teraunerativo work, and tbeir earnintrs applied to the maintenance of their families." The recommendation was adopted. THANES TO THE) COUNCIL. The hospital committee recommended that the arrangements made with tho City Corporation for the removal of lefu.«>© for tin bi-weekly at «£1 5s per week be approver!, and that a letter of thanks and appreciation be sent to the council for supplying 50 pohutakawa and 1000 nimv* insignia plants for planting at the Fever Hospital grounds.—Agreed. LOSS- OF revenue. Arising out of the decision of Cabinet not to pay license fees received from land agents to hospital boards after April Ist, t{ie chairman said that last year the hoard received ,£4OO from this source, and estimated to receive <£4oo in the present year. The payments ceased after April Ist, UP to which they had received <£27o, so that it would not affect the estimates very much. HEATING IN FEVER HOSPITAL. Mr Butler mentioned tho matter of heating in the fever hospital, and said fchs-re was no fireplace in the wards or heating by steam. He had seen a soldier sitting on the radiator, and it was not warm enough to heat his trousers, never mind his body. Some arrangement should be made so thfkt patients who were in a convalescent state could keep warm. Mr Luke said the temperature was being taken in the wards, and it was maintained at about 10 degrees above what it was outside. He thomrlit probably the instance mentioned bv Mr Butler was caused bv a slight defect. The medical superintendent said the wards were usually maintained at about 60 or 65 degrees. Mr Luke said the hospital committee would look into the matter.