SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITAL BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3610, 22 May 1923, Page 28

SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITAL BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the South Otago Hospital Board held on the 15th was attended by Messrs A. North (in the chair), H. M. Driver, James Gumming, A. S. Malcolm, E. King. J. W. Fenton, A. Rennie, and James Allen. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs 11. Simpson and Jasper Clark. GENERAL. The Chairman said that, while he was glad to see so many old members returned, he had much pleasure in welcoming new blood in Messrs Fenton, Allen, and King. It was mentioned that the cost of the erection of the Milton Hospital was to be £7700, and the cost of the Owaka Hospital £7500. FINANCE. In moving the adoption of the Finance Committee’s report, the Chairman (Mr Cumming) added a proviso that the amount included in the expenditure as payable to the Waipiata Sanatorium (£484 ss) be paid only if the other associated boards were doing likewise. The receipts amounted to £1873 3s 4d and the expenditure to £3439 8s lid. The motion was carried, subject to the provision mentioned. CORRESPONDENCE. Matron Clements, Cottage Hospital, Kaitangata, reported that four patients had been admitted during the month, three had been discharged, and three were remaining in hospital.—Received. The Otago Hospital Board advised that the following were the cases from the South Otago Hospital Board in the former board's institutions on 4pi'll 30: —Dunedin Hospital, 24; Children’s Convalescent Home, 1; infirmary ward, Benevolent Institution, 1; Fleasant Valley Sanatorium, 3;—total, 31. —Received. In reply to a letter from the board asking the Otago Hospital Board that no charge be made for either the day of admission or the day of discharge of patients in its institutions, the Otago Board replied that it had resolved to adhere to its previous decision. It was also pointed out that no distinction was made in respect of patients from the South Otago district, as all patients admitted to any institution were placed upon a similar footing, and charges were made for both the day of admission and the day of discharge.—The Chairman mentioned that the Southland Hospital Board followed the same rule, and the letter was received. The clerk, Clutha County Council, wrote advising that, with regard to the board’s request to have graded and metalled the road leading to the Owaka Hospital site, he had teen instructed to ask what the board was prepared to do towards the grading and metalling referred to. —The Chairman mentioned that it was a street line serving only the proposed hospital.—lt was decided, on the motion of Mr Malcolm, seconded by Mr Rennie, that the board offer to pay half the cost of the work up to £SO. The secretary of the Waipiata Sanatorium Committee wrote statins that he had been directed to request all the associated boards to obtain the opinion of their respective medical officers as to the advisability or otherwise of a receiving nation being provided for the observation of consumptive patients prior to their admission to the sanatorium The committee would like all the associated boards at the same time to indicate if they had or could provide any suitable arrangement by which patients from their respective districts might be under medical observation before being sent forward to the sanatorium. The committee in seeking this information was anxious that the different boards and their medical officers should assist in heljiing the committee to carry out its policy of providing accommodation at Waipiata only for early curable cases of phthisis.—The Chairman laid that he had opposed a motion to tho effect of the foregoing at the last meeting of the Sanatorium Committee, as it looked like “an old friend in a new guise.’’ He knew the Health Department was in favour of the associated boards taking over Wakari as a receiving station. —Mr King moved that tlie board oppose the idea of a receiving station, as there was plenty of opportunity for patients to undergo observation otherw is \ —Mr Cumming seconded, and the motion was carried. WAIPIATA SANATORIUM. Mr Maicoimn said that he noticed that standing orders were to be discussed at the next meeting of the Waipiata Sanatorium Committee. He thought it was desirable that the standing orders should provide that any member of an associated board should be permitted to attend all meetings of the committee, and take part in discussion, but not vote. In support of ihis fie said that the South Otago Hospital Board representative on the committee (Mr North) stood alone in advocating several matters. He (the speaker) would be willing to attend the meeting, at his own expense, to support Mr North. Another matter which he would like to bring up in connection with Waipiata was the frequent bursting of water pipes there as the result of frosts. He considered that the committee did not take a serious enough view of this, and that the architect should be asked what steps he had taken to prevent the pipes from bursting. Still another matter was the installation of electrical appliances at Waipiata. The committee had made a practice of consulting Messrs Turnbull and .Tones concerning such work. Why should it do that when it was entitled to consult, free of charge, the Public Works Department? Mr Malcolm’s suggestions were formed into a motion, which was carried unanimously. THE £25,000 LOAN. A letter was road from the clerk of Bruce County Council, in reply to the board’s intimation that it was arranging for a loan from the Canteen Fund of £25,009, which would be repayable in 16 years. The letter stated that such a sh„rtdated loan was looked upon with disfavour by the council, which considered that the term should be 32 years. Mr Malcolm said that, while the board welcomed any suggestion, it would have been a ruinous mistake to take the loan for 32 years. Money was at peak prices, and would fall back; it was already doing so. It would not do to pay peak prices for 32 years. The interest at 5) per cent, for 32 years would have been £41,250, and that would mean that, with tho principal, £66,250 would have I be repaid for £25,000. The interests of producers had

been seriously considered, and for three years they would luive to pay nothing in (he way of sinking fund, as it had been arranged that the sinking fund should not commence till 1926. He considered that, m view of the prospect of interest falling the board was very fortunate in obtainin'- a loan for 16 years, instead of for 20 years, which seemed to be the minimum elsewhere. It was also fortunate in having been able to arrange that no exchange be paid. He moved that the letter be received. The Chairman said that if the board had entertained any doubt that it was doing the best in the interest of the ratepayers of South Otago, it would certainly have arranged for a conference of local bodies on the matter. However, be felt sure that the Bruce County Council’s disfavour was merely the result of a misunderstanding, and that, had the council been fully seized of the facts, it would have raised no objection at all. Mr Rennie said that another satisfactory feature was that by way of subsidv the board received £ for £ on the sinking fund, whereas it would receive only 15s for £ on interest. Mr Fenton pointed out that there would he a saving of £lB 000 in interest if the term of the loan were 16 instead of 32 years. The lei ter was received. Mr Fenton said that as the delegate of the Kaitangata Borough Council, he had been recommended to oppose, the raising of the loan if,he did not consider that Kaitangata was going to receive more in return for the increased levy as a result of raising the loan. The position was explained in committee, and Mr Fenton intimated afterwards that he was not going to oppose the raising of the loan. PAYMENT OF LEVIES. Mr Malcolm moved that all local bodies be requested to make monthly payments in regard to their levies. Mr North, who seconded the motion pro forma, said that the difficulty was that local bodies nearly always had to wait a year or even more for their rates. They had either to pay the levy out of their ordinary funds or to pay it. out of an overdraft. If rales were to be collected at, once it would hamper ratepayers very much, and he would be loth to press unduly. Mr Malcolm said that his motion was in the best interests of ratepayers. It did not propose to compel local bodies to make monthly payments; it merely requested them to do so, and if they could it was better that they should do that than pay the money into the banks. Mr Rennie said that local bodies had always had to wait for payment of rates, but now the Finance Act gave them an opportunity of allowing a discount of 5 per cent, on rates paid within a certain time. He thought that the Bruce County Council would take advantage of this opportunity. Mr Fenton said that the Act enabled the board to enforce local bodies to make monthly payments, but it did not wish to do that. Mr Malcolm’s motion made it entirely a matter of option. The motion was carried by five votes to three. LOCAL HOSPITAL COMMITTEE. Mr Fenton drew attention to the fact that the local Hospital Committee had been advised that its term had ceased on the expiration of the term of the old board. Ho asked what was to be done in the future. It was decided to ask the Bruce County Council to recommend one member, the Kaitangata Borough Council to recommend two members (including the Mayor), and the Medical Club and Miners’ Union each to recommend two members for appointment to the local Hospital Committee. WASH-OUT IN HOSPITAL ROAD. The Chairman reported that during the flood three weeks ago a wasli-out—cOft at one end, 20ft at the other end, and 10ft deep—had occurred on the Hospital road at Balclutha. There had been 4ft piping through the road, and it had been thought that this would have been sufficient to carry away any flood waters. Apparently a dam had occurred, and the road had consequently been washed away. To prevent a repetition of this he had consulted Messrs Simpson, Cummings, and the clerk, and, as they cons dered it was imperative that the work should be carried out at once, they had taken it on themselves to order pipes to lay another row on too of the present one, and the work was now in hand. Another reason for haste was the fact that the contract had been let for metalling the road, and the work should be done before that work was carried out. It was estimated that £l5O would be the cost of the work, which should ensure the carrying away of water even during an abnormal flood. It was decided that the action of the subcommittee be approved. MILTON HOSPITAL. Mr Rennie said that Mr Tweedie was prepared to negotiate with the board for the sale of a 21ft right-of-way beside the Milton Hospital. This would provide a very substantial short-cut from the hospital to the main street, and the only condition mentioned by Mr Tweedie was that He should have permission to use the right-of-way to l:is own section. Messrs Clark, Driver, and Rennie were appointed to interview Mr Tweedie in the. matter, and leport to the board. PLANS FOR HOSPITAL. Mr Malcolm reported on his visit to Wellington in connection with the plans for the hospital. He was satisfied that the board had done the right thing in calling in outside advice. If had no medical superintendent of its own, but it had been given very valuable advice by Dr Power, of the Timaru Hospital, and by Dr Smith, of the Wellington Hospital. These two doctors, he said, had laid themselves out to provide plans for an ideal hospital. They had endeavoured to make it most efficient at the least possible price. In fact, the DirectorGeneral of Hospitals had calculated that they would sate £9KX) on the estimate. “But,” added Mr Malcolm, “do not build 100 much on that.” He had also received valuable suggestions from Mr Allan, of the Health Department, from the matron of the Wellington Hospital, from Dr Wilson, medical superintendent, Wellington Hospital. and from Dr Myers, X-ray specialist in the same institution. Many others, including Dr Wells, of Ashburton, had forwarded by pest useful suggestions. They had not taken any action as far as the kitchen was concerned, it having been agreed that it would be advisable to consult Professor Strong, of the Home Science School, Dunedin. Thanks were also duo to the Wellington Board for the use of its board

room, and to the secretary of the Wellington Board for his assistance. Mr Malcolm’s report was adopted, and a vote of thanks was passed to him for his efforts. Votes of thanks were also passed to the Wellington Hospital Board and its secretary