BENEVOLENT TRUSTEES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13898, 9 May 1907, Page 2

BENEVOLENT TRUSTEES.

PROPOSED HOSPITAL FOR INCURABLE PATIENTS. An ordinary meeting of the. Benevolent Trustees ma held yesterday under the presidency of Mr Talboys, othors present being Messrs Tapper, Kompthorne, Burnett, Gallawuy. Arkle, and Captain EasUior. The Secretary reported that three deaths had occurred at tho institution during the week. NECESSITOUS CHINAMEN. It was decided to wait on the Hon. Geo. Fowlds upon his arrival in Duncdjn at, Jho end of the wool: in reference to obtaining assistance- in transporting old and need;; Chinamen out of tlio colony back to China. WTAIIITAnLE AID INFORMATION. Mr Gallawuy moved that secretary forward on day after meeting a sijrnc<l copy of tho weekly relief list, showing amount and term of relief granted in each easo to each local bodv in tlio district, and to the Chnritablo Aid Board. Ho considered tlrat by this means they would do away with fault-finding by the bodies concerned in the matter of information, and tlio difficulty of obtaining it. Mr Burnett remarked that the county ooiracils met onto a month oiily, and at each meeting they wonld be faced by a. bii; pile of lints. The resolution was carried, tho sense of the meeting being that if the local bodies got tired of such attentions that was their affair, THE THEtTMENT OF INXCEABLES. TTpon the applications for relief coming up, Mr Gallnwt!'' raised tltc question of tlio need of a hospital for incurables. A good deal of money had, he said, been thrown away in charitable relief, but the provision of a hospital for incurables remained amatter of fhe greatest urgency. The Benevolent Home was. he complained, gradually being diverted from its proper purpose to the accommodation of such cases. It was simply awful to see the state it was in.

The Chairman pointed out that when this matter enmo up on a previous occasion, the Trustees wrote the Charitable Ait! Board on tho subject. They had not received a reply. Ho thought they were entitled to a report on tho matter.

The Secretary (Mr A. Clulec) then rend the following letter to the secretary of tho Charitable Aid Hoard, despatched on February 9, 1807:—"In view of'the deputation which waited on the trustees in connection with the proposed erection of a, building at. the Benevolent Homo grounds for the purpose of an incurable hospital, I am directed to request that your board will put their propositions in writing and give full particulars, aid the amount of accommodation, etc. Tho lato Dr MacGregor (formerly inspector of hospitals) opposed any additional buildings in tho ground'!, and the trustees would therefore wish your board to obtain from Dr Valinlino (Dr MncOrcgor's successor) a report on advisability of erecting such a building or buildings for males mid females in the pres-At. grounds; also a report on tho whole scheme as far as tho institution is concerned. Another matter would lw the question of finance. How would this be provided for?"

In tho course of a short discussion, Mr Arkle eaid the Benevolent Homo was already a home for incurables to all intents and purposes.

Mr Tapper thought that such patients ought to bo separated from the old people. "How," ho asked, would any of von liko to sleep in a room with a patient suffering from cancer in the next bed to you " Ho moved that a day "c sot apart for a. special meeting for the discussion of this and other ouestions.

This, was seconded and agreed to.