FRIENDLY SOCIETY CANDIDATES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12097, 15 March 1910, Page 4

FRIENDLY SOCIETY CANDIDATES.

-A deputation^ comprising ( the i Rev. .Mr Lamb, Messrs C. F. Lewis and : R. Johnston, waited . upon \ ns - to-day , arid . offered ' Bome.'' : .criticjLsm.' on the statements # made ■■ m our last issue by the Mayor with reference to the Jiospital site. It was pointed' out that the opinion of the •two . medical men seen by Mr Lysrittr was that great iriiprove^epts^ are absolutely needed at the ■hosbitaii New buildings, they contend, .^are necessary, and a', healthy position^' depends ; upon the construction: •of locks m:. the river, proving; of course, tliat ; even Aii the minds of these two doctors the prjer' . sent jiosition is unhealthy. "I know, of one case myself," said ■Mr Lamb, .'*a ■vyomari who was a patient there for ten imonths,; arid was just about cbnvales-' cent when she contracted fever. She had never been outside, the gates of the, 'institution. . No possible blame can be attached to etaf| m opririeetion with this case/and/ it is very' --'evident that the case arose either, through the unhealtliiriess of the biuldings or the\looation of thav hospital.'' Another ppiiit,,; . to be remembered, it; /was pointed - s out, is that the buildings are absolutely out- - of^date. There are' quite a riuriiber of.small rooms scattered over the e place, which makes it /very difficult for the nursing -staff.' "Part of the • buildings,'' > added Mr Lewis, '"were the. old immigration barracks, established m Gisborne ..- in the early seventies; or prior thereto.';' The: Friendly Spcieties' candidates' desirad it meri'tioried that they : did; riot wish to' haVe the present management m. any way. disturbed, it 'being., now just " as[ good,, m their^ opinion, as it was'pbs- - sible; to get it. • Mr Lamb stated that he had visited the , institution regiilarly price a.Ayeek, and it had been the'unanimous testimony of patients with whom he had conversed that the kindness and ability with winch they bad been treated, could not have been exceeded. .It was,, further stated that there were at least , ten to twelve members of friendly society lodges appointed for the: purpose who visited the hospital regularly,; reporting once a month, and their opinion was emphatic that the treatment could not be excelled, both as regards " the medical skill and the nursing. Favorable comment wits also made' on the scale of dietary maintained at the hospital, and it was asserted to be an entirely incorrect and unfair, statement that- ... special people got special treatment m this respect. • . > >