PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19316, 31 October 1924, Page 9

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

VALUABLE GIFTS FROM SOUTHi LAND. A public meeting -was held at Invercargill on Wednesday evening to discuss and deal with proposals and offers by Mr W. D. Hunt and Mr and Mrs R. A. Anderson in connection with the promotion of the work of the Plunket Society throughout Southland The Deputy-Mayor (Mr A. Glass) presided over a large attendance. Mr Glass said he had a very pleasant duty to perform that night ; first to welcome an old friend in the person of Dr Truby King, who was recognised all over the world as an authority in the particular branch of work in which he was concerned. They had before them that evening two magnificent gifts. He would ask Dr Truby King to address the meeting. Dr Truby King said ho would first of all go into the history of the organisation in connection with which the gifts had been made. Seventeen years ago the Plunket Society had been founded in Dunedin, and its activities had gradually extended all over the dominion. Soon after the establishment of the society it became necessary to establish a home, which was called Kantane Home. It was later called Karitane Hospital, and was in effect something between a’ home and a hospital. Referring to the present gifts, he said that the otters had been made independently, one by Mr Hunt jn Wellington, and the other by Mr Anderson in Invercargill. It was a remarkable coincidence that these two unsolicited offers should have been made at one and the same time.—(Applause.) Ho had gone down there without the faintest idea of Mr Anderson’s offer, and it was a very pleasant surprise indeed when ho found that the Plunket Society here had. had a similar offer from Mr Anderson. Mr Hunt’s property at Bainlield was a most perfect home for the purposes of the society and Mr Anderson’s was similarly well adapted for the purpose for which it had been given. The intention was to establish a Karitane Hospital and Mothercraft graining Centro in the same sense as those established at Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington Wanganui, and Auckland. It had been stated that Mr Hunt’s gift represented an amount of about £SOGO, and ho supposed it could not bo anything less than this. The gifts, he would think, represented some £SOOO in each case. In addition to these magnificent gifts, he had on the way down received a gift from Mr J. A. Johnstone of £SOO in the shape of Wright, Stephenson’s preference shares, which would produce an annual income of £27 10s. Mr Hunt bad also informed him that Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co. would give £250. and Browns lime Co. waa giving £SO, and Mr R. A. Anderson, in addition to his fine gift, was giving a further £IOO towards the maintenance costs. Donors of annual subscriptions for a term of five years towards the upkeep of the home were Mr Hunt, who was giving a gardener’s services free for the first year, and £25 for four years thereafter; Wright, Stephenson and Co. and the Browns Lime Co., with £lO and £5 respectively, and lie himself would like to come in with 10 guineas, if he could be permitted to do so.— (Applause.) , _ _ , , In reply to a question by Dr Crawford, Dr King said that roughly the cost of maintenance would be about £1650 a year, and alterations and additions would cost from £IOOO to £1260. He thought an attempt should lie made to raise something like £SOOO. but this question must be left to the financial advisers of the society. He was assured that there would be no difficulty in carrying the whole thing to its natural conclusion, " Mr H. J. Fna-rant moved that a Central Committee bo formed. Dr Crawford seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. The following were elected to the committee. with power to odd to their number: Messrs H. Royds. T. M‘Carrol I, W. Mncalister, J. M‘Don aid, J. Miller, A. E, Featherstone. J. Lenihan, J. Sheehan, J. Robertson, H. J. Parrant, J, Gilkison. A. le H- Hoyles, C. J. Brodriok. R. M. Strang, J. M'Crostie, J. Stevenson. A. F. Clark, G, P. Griffiths. A. Glass. Revs. Robinson, Lush, and Gilbert, and Drs Ritchie Crawford. M'Caw, and Macdonald. Mr Tarrant was appointed convener. The meeting closed with a hearty vote of thanks to Dr King for his address.