A FINE INSTITUTION

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 25, 28 March 1928, Page 3

A FINE INSTITUTION

THE STRATFORD HOSPITAL. (Written for the' Post). It was early in 1904 that, settlement rapidly extending out east, it became apparent to thoughful people in the district/ that there was need of some s ort Of a public hospital in Stratford. Ideas were at first limited/to the provision of a receiving station, with accommodation for a nurse, or at most a cottage hospital, under the control of the T'araaniki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Messr s R. Dingle and H. N. Liardet were then the Stratford Borough and County On the Taranaki Board, "what is now the Whangamomona County, then being included in Stratford County. The Stratford members! strongly urged the claim s , of the district for at least temporary accommodation for patients, but could not bring the Board to their way of thinking. In default <of selcuring from the, Taranki Board the concession that had now become the popular demand of the district, the possibiiy of cutting the painter and establishing an independent Board for Stratford Borough and County was mooted and adopted with enthusiasm. Sponsored by the late Mr Walter Syme s M.H.R., then representing the district, and favoured by the Government, the Stratford Hospital Board Bill, drafted by Mr T. C. Fookes, solicitor, readily passed the Legislature.

FIRST BOARD MEETS. The first meeting of the' Stratford District Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held in • December, 1904, in the Stratford County Office. The member s were: Messrs Joseph Mackay, William Monkhouse and I John Bird Hine of whom the last only survives. Mr Mackay was appointed chairman. At the second meeting of the Board it was decided to make arrangements Avith the Tar'anaki Board to continue for the time 'being to provide hospital accommodation and administer. Charitabe Aid in ;the Stratford district in return for receiving the revenue of the district as heretofore. This arrangement was made and continued until the Stratford Hospital was opened in 1907. At the third meeting of 'the Board, Mr H. Norman X«iardet ywalg appointed secretary and treasurer, which position he held until he left Stratford for Wellington in 1908. Atf 1 a meeting of the Board on March 11th, 1905, plans of the proposed hospital, received from the Government architect were discussed. Mr John W- Warren was appointed the Board's architect and instructed to proceed to Wellington and confer with the Government architect.

'ln the meantime vigorous canvass of the district for funds for the building of the hospital had been undertaken with excellent results. The stumping and ploughing of the Bite was poit in hand and the levy was struck, being at the rate of elevenpence per £IOO of capital value. ■ At the September meeting in 1905 a cordial vote of thankg was accorded to Mr Walter Symes M.H.R., for his services in obtaining from the Government a grant Of £IOOO for the building fund. At the annual meeting, December 7th, 1905, Messrs Monkhouse, Hine and Merchant constituted the Board, with Mr Monkhouse, chairman. Tenders wer e opened for the ,'tbuilding of the hospital and that of Messrs Boon Bros' h i£3Bß9< wa s accepted out of four. ■■: ■ - ; '--J , - : '•■>'.'

.■ On the 22nd February, 1906, the foundation stone of the hospital was laid by His Excellency the Governor, Lord Plunket, in the presence of a large number of people of the town and district In August, Mr J. D. Healy w'a s appointed architect to thej Board in succession to Mr Wat-ren,-who was leaving the district. Mr Healy still holds: the post. At the annual meeting in December J( 1900, the new Board consisted of Messrs Marchant, Hiiie and N. J. King and Mr Hine was appointed chairman. At the January meeting Miss B. Fothergill was appointed Matron of the hospital. This la#y is still a resident of Stratford as the popular and respected wife Of our townsman, Mr A. "W. Budge. The February 1907 meeting' adopted (i plan for rotation of the post of Medical Superintendent and Dr. T. L. Paget was appointed for the: first year. This plan was subsequently vetoed by the Inspector-General of Hospitals and Dr. Paget's appoint ment made permanent after fresh applications had been called.

HOSPITAL OPENED. On February 21st, 1907, by thle Hon. George Fowlds,; Minister r for Hospitals, the 'hospital was formally opened in the presence of a large number of the people* of the district. The first patient was admitted on the 18th May, 1907. At the June meeting in the same year the Board accepted with thanks an offer from the Stratford Horticulal Society to assist in laying out and planting the hospital grounds, and at the following meeting Dr Carbery, 'the President of the Society; waited on the Board with a plan of the proposed improvements, which was approved. The work was carried out during the ensuing summer, and fit the meeting on August 4th 1908, a deputation from the Society consisting of Messrs Mountford and Rawles waited on the Board and reported the 'improvements completed. A very hearty vote of thanks wa s accorded the Society. At the annual meeting in December 1907, the following were the members* as nominated by the local bodies: Messrs J. B. Hine, G. |\. Merchant, PI P. Ralfe.VW. Hathaway, and J. McCluggage. Mr P. F. IRalfe was appointed chairman, the tfood work done by the retiring chairman, Mr ;Hine, being gatcfully acknowledged by all the members. In February 1908, Mis, Fothergiil retired from the position of matron and was succeeded by Miss L. Bennett. The retiring matron had mos*

efficiently 'the position and the Board suitably acknowledged the great assistance she had given in the organising of th e new institution.

At the September meeting 1908, Mr H. N. Liardet tendered his resignation as secretary as he had accepted a position in Wellington. The resignation was accepted with regret and Mr Liardet was congratulated on his appointment. Mr T. Harry Penn was appointed a s ihis successor, and still holds the position. The tender of Mr 'N. J. King was accepted for the building 0 f the nurses' residence. Dr. Carbery wa s appointed assist-ant-surgeon on Ist December 1909. At the same meeting a scheme was adopted which the co-operative work, ers on the Stratford Main Trunk railway were to contribute a fixed weekly sum each to cover hospital treatment t \vhen required. M,iss Bennett resigned her position a 9 matron in January 1910 and Miss O'Brien was appointed in her stead. On the new "Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act" coming into force the number of members of the Board was increased to eight. The first meeting under the new Act was held on April ls t 1910. Mr George A. Marchant was appointed chairman and Mr T. H. Penn reappointed secretary and treasurer. Mr Thos. C. Pookes was re-appointed 'solictor to the Board. It was resolved to set aside £3OO per annum to extinguish the debt of the Bank of New Zealand.

In November 1910, Dr Paget re " signed the position of Medical Superintendent, Dr Carbery receiving the temporary appointment of'Acting Superintendent. Mr Marchant having resigned the chairmanship, Mr R. H. Cameron was appointed and held the position . until January', when he resigned. Mr E. Marfell was appointed in hi s place. DR STEVEN APPOINTED. At the meeting in F'ebruary 1911, Dr. David Steven received the ap*pointment of Medical Superintendent, and he has held the position ever since. * On December sth 1911, a contract was let to Mr J. W. Boon for, the erection of an Isolation Hospital for the sum of £1460. In May 1913 Mr. Marfell having re. signed on his departure for'a trip to Europe, Mr. James McAllister was 'elected chairman of the Board, a position he continued to fill until 1919. The nurses' residence was> enlarged i n ;1919 at a cost of £499 10s 'od, Mr. Nl J. King being the guilder. Early in 1916 negotiations took place with the newly-formed JVledical Association at Whangamomona with the result that in May a District Nurse for that district was appointed, the first holder of the position being Mrs Gr. L. Mntl.aohlan. She held the position until December, when she resigned, and Nurse Old was appointed. ' Upon the resignation of Matron o'Brie n in 1917 Miss S. Beedle 'received the appointment.

At the 'June meeting. in 1918, pilans and estimates for a Maternity Hospital were considered but the estimated cost of running the institution was such as to cause the Board to reluctantly defer taking any action, as heavy expenditure was about to be undertaken on a •necessary enlargement of the general hospital and nurses' residence. At the same meeting the scale of patients' fees increased to 7s per ; diem for adults and 5s 6d pe r diem, for children, the rates that are now I (1928) in force. The influenza epidemic of November and* December, 1918, naturally strained the resources of the | hospital, and its staff to the utmost. In conjunction with the Mayor of the town and a citizens' committee, the i Board ■ opened temporary hospitals at the Technical School and "at two boarding houses in the .town, and acted with local commit'tees in the out-districts. The extent of the work entailed by the epidemic can be gauged by a resolution passed at the Board meeting in January 1919 that the Minister of Health be informed that the sum of £2OOO was urgently required to 'settle accounts in connection therewith. To deal with pensions and allowances-to the widow and orphans »esul,ting from the epidemic the Sioard set up a Social Welfare Committee consisting of delegates from the Board, the Borough Council, the Red Cross Society and the Womeris' National Reserve. The first meeting was held on April 22nd 1919, and much good service was done until It disbanded early in 1920.

At the Board's meeting in June 1919, Mr.. James McAllister having retired from the Board after doing yoeman service for six years, including the very strenuous period of the influenza epidemic Mr. Courtenay D. Sole received the ap■pointment of chairman which he 'held until his deeply regretted •death in 1927.

BUIDINGS EXTENDED. i In the same month the Board i borrowed £SOOO from the Public Trustee for enlarging the hospital and nurses' residence, and the installation of a central heating system. At the September' meeting Messrs J. T. Julian and Son's tender of £2625 for the erection of tie buildings, and Messrs Smart Bros:' tender ot £1064 for the cr-Hisval-heat-ing plant, were accepted. An X-Ray plant costing £619 was ordered at the meeting on the 13th January 1920, from Messrs. Newton, 'Wright,' of London, and on the 21st 4 'February a successful appeal to. the public was made for donations towards the cost. On August 10th. 1930, the sum of £9OO was passed for the purchase oi£ a residence at Whangamomona ! N for District Nurse Myers who had held the position since 1919 and is 'still a valued servant of the Board and very popular with the Whangamomona community. A much needed cottage f°r tftiq

domestic staff of the hospital was j erected in the latter months of j 1920. v ! Asi the result of repeated requests from th e Whangamomona Medical Association the Board agreed to appoint a medical officer for this, district in October 1920. For various reasons the appointment was {no* confirmed and with improved communication by road and rail with Stratford, the District Nurse is to this day able to cope with the needs v of the population. During the year 1921, the ,Med- j ical Superintendent, Dr. Steven, was ' granted leave : for a professional trip .. to Europe and America. During his absence, Dr. Sowerby, now Superintendent of Thames, Hospital, acted as his locum .tenens, giving full satisfaction. , , In March 1922 the original building loan raised from the Bank of of New Zealand in 1906 was finally | lepaid. I THE MATERNITY ANNEXES. For some years prior to 1922 the proposition of a Maternity Annexe to the Hospital had been before the Board at intervals,, .the' chairman Mr C. D. Sole being an ardent supporter of the idea. Financial considerations had, however, always caused its postponement to a more convenient season. By degrees doubtersi and opponents had become more favourably disposed and by August 1922 plans had ta(ke n shape and had' been submitted to the local authorities and unanimously approved. The consent Of the Department was given to the raising of a loan of £5500 for the building and furnishing of the Annexe and for adding to the accommodation for nurses. The Public Trustee was approached and consented to advance the money at 6 per cent, interest with an annual payment to Sinking Fund Account which would repay the loan in 211 years. The tender of Mr Jos. W. Boon to erect the building with central heating for £4770 was accepted, as was his tender of £973 for the additions to the nurses' residence. By the end of the year the Annexe was ready to receive patients and i Sister Ross was engaged and placed in charge. The fee was fixed at £3 3s per week, at which, it still remains. It is gratifying to know that from its opening the Maternity Annexe, ha s been a complete success. \

In February 1924 the Board lost the services of Matron Beedle, who left to become the wife of our respected townsman, Mr Wm. Mclnnes, The Board put on record its high appreciation of Matron Beedle's services. Miss Nutsey was her, successor. At the June meeting 1924, the resignation of Mr Thomas C. Fookes as solicitor to the Board, ' consequent upon his retirement from practice, was received, and the Board placed on record its sense of the value of his services rendered from it s inception. Messrs Young and Moss were appointed to the vacancy. A new dining-room was added to the main building this! year at a cost of £948, the contractor being M ; r Joseph Hale. At the November meeting in 1925 the' Board approved of the nurses holdng a garden party to raise funds for laying down an asphalt tennis court. This proved very successful and in February 1926 a tender was let for the court and pavilion,, the amount being £362. Miss Nutsey resigned the post of Matron and Mrs Hunt, who still holds the position, was appointed in her stead. In April 1926, the Superannuation Fund was inaugurated, oighteen employees participating.

j • WORK IN THE EAST. I The vigorous prosecution of railway' construction to complete . the Stratford-Main Trunk led early in 1926 to the formation of a larger tamp .at Tangarakau and of the Raekohua Public Works Medical Asso- ! ciation. The Board received a deputation at its September meeting and arrangements were made forj the treatment of members of the Association in hospital and for the ap-'-pcintment of a District Nurse to be ' stationed at Tangafakau Flat. ' In January 1927, a further important step was taken in the matter of providing the big railway construction camp at T'angarakau with! a med- . leal and nursing service. Dr. W. J. Edginton was appointed Medical Officer and Mrs 0.. G-. Diriklater, Dis- ' trict Nurse, both officials to be available for the needs of the settlers in, the district beyond Whangamomona. | Excellent service has been rendered. The distinguished success of two nurses from the Maternity Annexe at the State Midwifery Examinations proved that the Department had made no mistake in constituting the Hospital a training school. The event was commemorated by the presentation of gold medal s to the successful trainees. '; The levies upon the local bodies of the Stratford Hospital District made, in April 1927 were at the rate of fifteen pence i n the £IOO of capital rateable value for maintenance purposes and a further halfpenny for capital expenditure. A motion to . increase patients' fees from 7s !per diem to 9s per diem wa s defeated at the Board meeting. August 1927, brought a sad event in the death Of the Board chairman, Mr Courtenay D. Sole, after a long and painful illness, against which he had fought with exemplary pluck and tenacity, carrying on his work for hospital with undiminished vigour until within a few weeks of trie end. Mr William McL. Kennedy Avas appointed chairman in Mr Sole's place.