Hospital and Charitable Aid Board.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XX, Issue 6303, 15 January 1889, Page 2

Hospital and Charitable Aid Board.

. ■ .' ■' ——fr—A meeting of ilie above Board was held lust evening. Present: MosßrsPitkolhley, (Oliai'rinan), Ronshaw, Koefoed, Walton, Coutte, arid MoAndrew. The minutes of tlio last moeting wore read snd coufirmed. — OORRESPOND.NCE.

The following letter from Dr. Callaii was read. ' • ' ,

I am in receipt of your communiiMtio informing oie tliat to consequence of my substitute's refusal to attend tlio indigent sick during ;my absence, llie B.iard was obliged to liave'recourfe to outside medical service?, and that the cost of fucli services would be deducted frein my salary.} and ( in reply I have merely to state that in accordance with the terms of my appointment I have no alternative but to acquiesce in the decision of tha Board. Will you be good enough to convey to your Board my regrets that any unpleasantness should have ariseu through my unavoidable absence'-And for yourself personally please accept my expression of sorrow thai you should have received a giatnilous insult in the discharge of your duties.

. The letter was received and the apology accepted

ACCOMODATION IN HOME,

A telegram was read from the Secretary at Coroinauder to the effect thai lunlesß acooinmodation could be found for three inmates at.the Home,that it would be necessary to send them to Auckland and charge tho Board with tho cost, Mr Renshaw proposed and Mr Walton seconded that the Sccietary niako the best arrangements possiblo ponding the inerense of accommodation at the Home. > REMOVAL AND EURIAL OF P. DSAVEN, Sergl. Murphy wrote asking payment of £3 17h 6d for removal and burial of the body of P. Be.iven who committed suicide at Waiomo. Auiouot passed for payment. RELIEVING; OFFIOKIt'S REPORT. '•'llie cost of rations issued at Thames for the past month was £23 5s Id against £21 lis 4d issued during the previous month, and at Coromandel the amount has been £9 133 5d against £9 7s 6d issued during November. Attached hereto I beg io lay beforo you a comparative Btatement of the cost of rations issued during 1888 againßt the cost of those issued dming 1887. Tho cost for (he past year has bcou £326 and of the previous year £527 10s 3d. or a saving of £20110s 3d. I also attach a statement showing tha cost of tho various services for 1887 and 1888, the total cost for each year being in 1887 £1879 3s sd, and for last year £1594 4s lOd, or a saving of £274 18s 7d. In 1887 thore was no expense attached to dealing with the indigent sick as the Hospital Trustees allowed Dr Williams to perform tho services gratutiously up to the Ist of last March since when, the cost has been £69 14s 6d. Tho number of inmates of the Old Men's Home during the past year has been three more than 1887, and the number of indigent persons treated at Ohinemuri and Coromandel has increased. It is therefore gratifying to Bee that there is sach a substantial saving over the previous vear." Mr MoAndrew thought tho manner in which tho Secretary had conducted the business refloats the greatest credit upon him. The report was adopted,.; , , ORPIIASAQE REPORTS.

Tho Secretary reported that everything in connection with tho Orphanage is in a very satisfactory state. He recommended that the Board issue instructions, that should the friends of any of tho children desire to take thorn out for a ehort holiday at anytime/that the consent' ofthe Board must first be obtained before they are permitted to leave the Orphanago. The Master reported that there are now in residenco 14 boys and 11 girls alj in excellent health. : From those out at 'service satisfactory accounts have been received. During the festive season the children Imd a few extras which they seemed to appreciate, On : Christmas Day they had lamb, roast beef; turkey, ham, and plum pudding, and a good supply of ci>ke and fruit. ■ They had a picnic party on the day aftor Boxing Day. Tho daily cost of living was 4§,1; Tho reports were received and adopted,

THE old men's home,

seoretary's report.

" Matters iu connection with the Home have proceeded much as nsiuil, during the month. There aro two-of. the .innmteß, Williams, and Reynolds Biill confined to their beds. On the 15th Decomber one of the inmates Swayslanfl lalbe garden dead, he appeared to have gono out during the night, at what time was not known—but ho was cold and stiff when he was discovered early in the morning, he bad been suffering for some time from heart disease, the poor fellow complained yery bjlterly 'to me the day before lie died at tho callous behaviour of his fellow inmates towards him in bis sufferings. They absolutely refused to render him the plightest assistance when solicited by himjte do so, this man's caso must, I fee) sure, bring under the notice of the Board io a painful manner the necessity of placing some competent person in charge of the Homo, notlo tyranise over the inmateß but to attend tho men in their sickness and to generally superintend all matters conducive to their happiness aud woll being. Regarding the claim of tho Borough Council to the Home, reported on by mo to you at your last meeting, and referred back to again report when the Borough Council should reply lo my loiter on the subject, tho Council having replied claiming £280 and interest, I again submit my report of December the 10th. I have no doubt ! >ut that the Council doaire to treat tho Board in an equitable and fair spirit I would suggest that tho matter bo left to the arbitration of some person outside of the Thames, Say tho Auditor General." The Sonrelary was instructed to write lo tho Buiough Council suggesting that llie inattor of the ownership of tho Home should be referred to the Accountant General as arbitrator.

Tho report was adopted

Tho following letter was read from the Thames Borough Council.

11 With furthor rcferciuo to your lollor of tho (Into quoted as per margin, I havo J,he honor by direction oE the Council of tli'o Borongjf of Thames to roply to the Urn! question in your letter by saying. Tho propoi'lios, Old Ken's Homo and Orphanage being vested absolutely iu tho Council, is the ground on which tho Council retains posßossiou of sarao, and in reply to your sccon 1 question, to say tor tho Old ijlon's Homo tho Council will requiro £280 and Inierost ijddod at tho rate of 6 por cent, per annum from tho date tho Council acquired Hint property nniil it is paid for by y-jur Board, and should it elect to

purchas-', and f >«r the Orphanage grounds furniture, &c., tlio sum "of £818 with interest at satr.e rale in like manner added.'' report OF general furpoSf.s committee. Tho General Purposes Commit'ee regoried as follows':—" l-'N That having submitted to your Solici.o. the question "can tho Board expend'it's funds in' building the proposed Orphanage bridge," and his answer; being in , the negative. Our Committee advise that steps be taken to wards..placing!.a,iootbridge..at,, tho^old. eife, as tho Board owns the land on both si les •of the creek they can legally use its funds for the purpose. The £100 promised by Government will lapse if not expended by,the 31st of March, it is therefore imperative that something should be done as early as possible 'to receive the boneflt'l of this sum.; Since last meeting the balance due by the Piako County has been paid by Government, the amount being £186 The sum of £250 has also b«en received from Government in response to a request for an udvauco on current years anticipated revenue, In legard to increasing the accommodation of the Old Men's Home, your Committee would request that you extend the limp, for lliem lo bring up this report, as owing to the holidays intervening since. last meeting, your Committee have, not met to consider the matter." ;i

The usual accounts were passed for p'lymenf, and the Board then 'rose. !