HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1917, 16 July 1889, Page 4

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

A meeting of 'this 1 board took place in Timarii on Saturday. Present — The Mayor of Timaru (chairman), Messrs Slee, Moore, Barker, Jackson, McLaren*, and Dr Lovegrove. Dr Maclntyre wrote resigning his position on the honorary visiting staff. —Accepted, with the thanks of the board for his past services. The Waimate Hospital Board wrote asking for payment of contribution as requisitioned for in March last.— Amount to be paid. Mr Ashbury, of Dunedin, offered to supply a linen drying closet for £BB,. and it was resolved on the motion of Mr Moore, seconded by Mr Barker—" That Mr Ashbury's offer for drying closet be accepted, on condition that it be kept at work satisfactorily for a month before payment is made, and that it can be erected within a month; otherwise the matter to be deferred." Mr McLaren drew attention to the omission Tin the new Hospitals and Charitable Aid Bill of any special provision for collecting fees due for hospital, treatment, and the secretary was instructed to.,draw > the. attention of the local M.H.R.'s to this omission, Mr Moore in accordance with notice*" That-if any medical man or patient he mayrbe attending desires to have a consultation "with the hosSital surgeon, such' consultation may e allowed on application to the chairman by the patient's' medical attendant." This was carried, Messrs Slee and Barker voting against it. Mr Pearpoint wrote askingt if he was bound under his contract to supply white sugar to recipients of rations. He had been supplying white sugar, but owing to the great rise in the price of sugar he had substituted p yellow, and some of the recipients objected to the yellow.— It was sta,ted tKat the tender was for white, and decided that the specifications must be adhered to.

Authority was given to obtain a 20s backsplint; lot a crippled child in the hospital, to .enable her to leave. Mr D. Sabiston,: caretaker at the Charitable Aid Home, reported that one ot the inmates had been very insubordinate, a perfect nuisance to the rest of the inmates.—The master was recommended to give the man in charge. The new Hospitals and Charitable Aid Bill now before Parliament was discussed at length, and the following resolutions passed:— Mr Moore moved, Mr McLaren seconded—" That in the opinion of this board it is considered that charitable aid would be more efficiently and economically dealt with if placed in the hands of the road boards, town boards, and boroughs, each district to have power to levy their own rates for luch aid, and to receive subsidies from tbe Government, and that a copy of thiß resolution be forwarded to the Premier." —Carried. Moved by Mr Moore, and secondedby Mr Jack3bn JU the opinion of this board; the

management and control of the hospitals should be vested in a board composed of members elected by the tributiug bodies according to the rateable value of their districts. (2) That provision be made for the boarding out of (destitute children or orphans in private families ;by controlling councils, and that the same subsidy be granted as for children in industrial schools,"

The following were among the applications for charitable aid which were brought before the board:— A labourer up country, with ten children, aske t d for assistance in procuring an invalid carriage for one of his children, a girl of eleven, who was paralysed in her lower limbs, in order that she might be taken to schooL A eubscaiption was being raised to help in this.—No action to be taken until it was seen whether a sufficient amount is raised by subscription. A woman with five children, whose husband had been incapacitated from work by accident and was now in the hospital—all their savings gone in hospital expenses—was ordered rations.

A Waimate couple of 69 and 68 years of age; the maa laid up with rheumatism, the woman very.feeble; were ordered rations. The local member to make some arrangemonte for obtaining security over their acre and a-half section, already encumbered.; ; Assistance was voted to a country family; man unable to fully Support his wife and nine children, one an infant ; a tenth child out at service at 4s a week only. The family—wife and four children —of a man now in prison had been in receipt of rations in aid;—These to be stopped so long as they continue to own a horse.

Instructions were given to sue the alleged father of an illegitimate child for the lying-in expenses of the mother at the barracks. The Southland Board wrote acknowledging liability on account of a girl who came from there arid was confined in Timaru. They understood that the girl had relations in the Timaru district,. and asked that, enquiries be made, —A police report stated that inquiry had failed to discover any relations there. . Rations were ordered to be given to an aged couple; man, aged 80 years, bedridden; only son earning 16s a week, of which 5s goes in rent, leaving only lis a week for three to live upon. A tradesman in the country, laid up for a long time, wife and five children, asked for some assistance.—lt was remarked that the man had in the past drank his earnings. Deferred for further information. Accounts amounting to £203 12s on hospital account, and £495 Is 5d on charitable account were passed for navment. and the meetiner terminated