HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3031, 17 April 1912, Page 10

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of the Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held on tho 11th inst; present—Messrs J. H. Wall- ■ (chairman), J. J. Clark, H. M. Ewing, E. A. Tapper, W. Wilkinson, J. dimming, W. Blackie, W. T. Talboys, S. S. Myers, and H. M. Driver. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs J. H. F. Hamel, W. E. S. Knight, and D. Lailach. REPRESENTATION ON UNIVERSITY COUNCIL. The Registrar of the University of Otago wrote notifying the board that 'under tho act one member of tho University Council was in future to be elected by tho board, the first appointment to be made in June. —Received. HOSPITAL SATURDAY ASSOCIATION. The Secretary of the Hospital Saturday Association of Otago wrote : " Herewith I enclose a cheque for £3OO, being the proportion of the Hospital Saturday collection, year 1911, allotted to the Punedin Hospital by the Executive Committee which, with the Government subsidy, will mean the sum of £660 for the benefit of the general Hospital. The £3OO subscribed includes the Port Chalmers contribution, amounting to £3B 3s. We understand that a further sum is still required for the completion of the open-air balconies, and we would liko a portion of this money to be spent on this work. My executive would also appreciate it very much if your board could see its way to purchase a piano for the Palmerston Sanatorium out of the balance of this money. Wo regret that the collection this year is not quite up to previous years, owing to a number of adverse circumstances, but wo understand that the Hospital is not in urgent need of any extraordinary expenditure this year, and have therefore somewhat reduced the proportion to tho Hospital, but you can rest assured that whenever the Hospital has ary pressing or urgent needs my executive will deal generously with the general Hospital in the allocation of the amount collected by the Hospital Saturday Assocuvtion." The Chairman moved that the amount be received with thanks, and that the letter be referred to tho Financo Committee for a report. Mr Clark said he did not think the Hospital Saturday Association was treating the Hospital fairly. It raised a considerable Bra of money, a large part cf which was voted to objects, all of which the board was in sympathy with, but he did not think it was altogether fair that the association should use the Hospital as a means for co'.'-icting money when, he was safe in saying, half of the money did not reach tho Hosnital. The public should understand clearly that they were really not givit ; to the Hospital, but to a number of other institutions as well which were perhaps ecjually deserving. Mr Tapper said that any sum less than one-half of what was collected would not bo satisfactory to the board. The majority of the people who subscribed considered they were sul scribing to the Dunedin Hospital, and therefore the Hospital should haye at least half of the funds. The best plan the association could adopt, he thought, would be to hand all the collection over to the Hospital Board, which would get a subsidy on the whole amount, and could then hand back certain sums to tho other 1 odies to be benefited. He thought it was possible under the law to give assistance to these bodies. Mr Myers concurred with the previous speakers. Tho appropriation was a most unsatisfactory one, and he hoped the Finance Committee would consider whether it was satisfactory for the board to abide by the present position of affairs in the future, and allow the Hospital to be used to obtain subscriptions for other deserving institutions. Mr Wilkinson said that if the public knew tho money was not for the Hospital direct they would not contribute so largely. The association was really ob-

taiping money under false pretences. The money was given for the Hospital, and if the association diverted it from that channel it was not doing what was right. The Chairman said he h J no doubt the board was indebted to the ladies and gentlemen who had done admirable work in connection with the Hospital Saturday collection. It seemed to him that the amount set apart for the Hospital was not satisfactory, but as the letter was to go to the Finance Committee the board would have another opportunity of referring to the matter. The motion was carried. REPORTS. The reports of the Finance, Benevolent, and Sanatorium Committees were adopted. The Finance Committee submitted the following supplementary report :—Hospital Patients from Southland District : Your committee recommends that arrangements be entered into for a period of 12 months, as from Ist May, 1912, between the Southland Hospital and Charitable .Aid Board and this board, whereby all urgent indigent hospital oases from the Southland district admitted to the Dunedin Hospital, and similar patients from this district admittted to the Invercargill, Gore, Frankton, and Arrowtown Hospi-. tals, be treated without charge to the board of the district to which such case belongs.—Mr Wilkinson, in moving the adoption of the report, said it was proposed to give the system a trial for 12 months. If succesful, it would be the means of saving a large amount of work, and lessen the friction between the two bodies.—The report was adversely criticised by several members. —Mr Myers moved, and Mr Driver seconded—" That the report be referred back to the Finance Committee for further consideration.'*'— The Chairman said there was evidently a misconception in the minds of members concerning the report. He thought further discussion would result in the re moval of the mistaken views held by members. He was satisfied that instead of being an extra charge on the Dunedin Hospital the accounts would pretty well balante at the end of the year.—The report was referred back to the committee for further consideration. SCOPE AND POWKR OF COMMITTEES. The Chairman moved—" That the resolution of the board of Ist June, 1910, adopting the scope and power of committees be and the same is hereby rescinded, in so far as the same relates to the number of members of which a committee shall consist, and also m regard to the appointment of a Works Committee."— Mr Ewing seconded the motion.—Mr Wilkinson moved the deletion of the words "and also in regard to the appointment of a Works Committee.''—The amendment was lost, and the motion carried. The Chairman moved—" That it be resolved that the following committees shall consist of eight members of the board (exclusive of the chairman of the board), and such co-operative members as may be elected by the board, the chairman to be a member of all committees—viz., the Hospital Committee, the Benevolent Committtee, the Sanatorium Committee, and the Finance Committee."—Mr Clark moved as an amendment that the committees should consist of six members.— The amendment was lost, and the motion carried. Two subsidiary motions were also agreed to. APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES. Messrs Clark, Ewing, Hamel, Larnach, Myers, Talboys, Wilkinson, Tapper, and Walker wore appointed the members of the Finance, Hospital, Benevolent, and Sanatorium Committees. The following gentlemen were appointed chairmen : Finance, Mr Clark; Hospital, Mr Walker; Benevolent, Mr Talboys; Sanatorium, Mr Myers. Tuapeka Hospital Committee—Messrs W. E. S. Knight (chairman), and J. H. Walker ; eo-optativo members—Messrs J. Bennetts, J. Roberston, J. Rose, J. K. Simpson, P. M'lnerney. Kaitangata Hospital Committee— Messrs H. M. Driver (chairman), J. Cumming, and J. 11. Walker; co-optative members —Messrs B. Aitchison, A. E. Farquhar, J. Rutherford, Jas. Mosley. Ladies' Advisory Committee (Benevolent) —Referred to Benevolent Committee to report. Co-optative members of Hospital Committee. —Referred to the honorary medical staff of the Otago University to nominate a represetnative. Tho question of co-optative members on the Benevolent Committee will be referred to the Ladies' Committee, when appointed, to nominate two members. On the motion of Mr Myers, seconded by Mr Talboys. it was agreed—" That the thanks of the board be tendered and recorded in the minute? to Dr Scott and Dr Marshall Macdonald for their services as co-optative members of the Hospital Committee, and to Mrs Don and Mrs Jackson for their services on the Benevolent Committee."