TIMARU HOSPITAL BOARD

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13558, 31 March 1908, Page 6

TIMARU HOSPITAL BOARD

• SPECIAL METTING. The Timaru; Hospital Board held a special meeting yesterday to (leal with three subjects -. The estimates for.-:the coming year,, the consumptive sanatorium, and the proposed Hospital, Amendment Bill. All the/members were present, except Mr Cullman;, who is absent in Australia. .* ' -; THE : . ESTIMATES: As,a guide to the Board, the secretary submitted the following statement ol receipts and expenditure for 1907-8: Receipts—Bank'-/credit £l9O 19s 9d : outstanding Government subsidy £2316. l?s 3d, donations a/nd/ bequests. £B6O lis 6d, Government, subsidy on these £1032 13s 9d/Patients' payments £548 6s 6d,-Local Bodies' payments £4416 14s,'■'. Government subsidy on these (paid) .£4294 C.V od • do. due.; £422'13s 6d, Seddon Memorial Ward balance and subsidv, sav £SO-~ total £14.132 lis■ ,9d,'

Expenditure" Hospital maintenance £4838 14s, repairs, etc. £l5O lis 9d, new laundry £1824 lis, Seddon Ward,'.'.'p»H' £3OO (due. £,364),. operating theatre' paid £s3B'(diie £137), Waimate" Hospital Maintenance £1534 18s sd, Waimate additions paid £l5O (due \£967). Charitable Aid and Old Men's Home £2679 19s; balance £646 lCs 9d; total £14.132 lis 9d-

Talbot Hospital. Receipts—balance £65 7s 9d. : from local v bodies £300; total £365 7s 9d. ' Expenditure—maintenance £3lO Is 3d, furniture £24; balance £3l 6s sd. ■'

Wainiate Hospital. ' Estimates sent in by the estimated cost £1732 Bs. Estimated receips,subscriptions £4O. subsidies £4B, patients' payni»nfs £l2O, sundries £SO; total ■ £258. Estimated net cost £i474* Bs. Details of the estimated expenditure were given. The largest items were: Salaries £590, ration? £360; gardening, ploughing, cartages £l3O, repairs £l3O, fuel and light £IOO, furniture, bedding and clothing, £146. : A new item in the Waimate list is water supn l -- £2O; and the last item was, debtor balance at the bank £32. After some consideiation of details and results at the end of the year the Board resolved —" That- the levy upon the contributing bodies be the same ay last year for general maintenance and Talbot pital, total amount £4500." The chairman and other members spoke of the inconvenience of the Boards office beinir closed «o much owing to the secretary being absent at the hospital every day. and in the country frequently on visits of inspection, and it was agreed that an office boy be engaged. Dr. Bett -requested that his dining room be re : papered, and this waa agreed to. The chairman reported that the new honorary staff appointed had written that they were willing to take up the duties of the staff for the coming vear. CONSUMPTIVE SANATORIUM. The subject was dealt with as reported elsewhere. NEW HOSPITALS BILL.

The Board discussed Mime features of tin new Hospitals Bill, which, however, lit: Valentine had stated, would be altered before being presented to Parliament. A circular from him a-sked for suggestions which, with those from our Boards, could be t>enl lo all Boards. A conference of representatives would be held in Wellington in June, to consider the remits sent in after the Boards had dealt with them. The Board was asked to appoint a representative, whose expenses would be paid. - Referring to the provision in the Bill for the election of Boards on the adult, suffrage basis, the chairman said there did not seem to be any nei'd or demand for this change. II would be very expensive in the preparation of special rolls, and it did not seem likely to improve the status of membens. The proposal lo discontinue the subsidies was of great importance. Thoe were given as an alternative io making the large reserves contemplated by the original Act. Mr Maslin pointed out a difficulty in regard to the voting in the rural boroughs under the Bill, and lie objected to Ihe interference of the Department in the making of appointments. Willi regard to the former, he argued that bodies whos'duties were merely administrative and uol legislative, whose members were not w uiun'erated for their services, should \v appointed as simply and cheaply as possible. The Bill was said lo be necessary to check the expenditure on charitable aid, yet it proposed to introduce an element "which would have no interest ut all in keeping down expenditure, as under i the popular franchise members would be elected who contributed nothing lo the funds to be expended. There must be J