CONSUMPTION SANATORIUM.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13830, 16 February 1909, Page 3

CONSUMPTION SANATORIUM.

LOCAL BODIES CONFER. A conference of delegates representing the South Canterbury Hospital Board, . and Ashburton and Waimate Hospital Trustees, was held in the Timaru Borough Council Chamber yesterday Messrs F. R. Gillingham (chairman), J. Craigie and W. S. Maslin, for the South Canterbury Board; Messrs J. Lambie (chairman of County Council and of Trustees), and H. Davis (Mayor of borough), for Ashburton; Messrs J. Sinclair (chairman), and T. L. Hart, for Waimate Trustees; and Dr. J. M. Mason, Chief Health Officer, and Dr. H. E. Finch, District Health Officer, came down from Christchurch to attend the conference, and the secretary of the Soutli. Canterbury Board (Mr Russell) brought various kinds of information to the meeting. Mr Gillingham presided, and stated to the visiting delegates the case for amalgamation as it appeared to his Board, with an explanation of their withdrawal from the proposed association with North Canterbury in establishing a sanatorium for all Canterbury at Cashmere. It had been considered that South Canterbury and Ashburton could usefully co-operate in providing a cheaper form of sanatorium, and the latter had intimated its willingness to do so. The Waimate Hospital Trustees had been .asked to send representatives to the conference, not as an independent body, but because they had already taken some practical steps for dealing with consumptives, and it was only fair that they should be asked for an opinion on. any comprehensive scheme proposed. Dr. Mason spoke to the delegates of the importance of providing means for dealing with consumption, and of the difficulties that had been experienced elsewhere in' procuring suitable sites. Tho site purchased by this Board he considered an excellent one, as regards climate, aspect, surroundings, lacilities for wate supply and darinage; being close to a railway station provided convenient and cheap access, and being near to Fairlie, the services of a medical man resident there would be available. He strongly recommended moderation and economy in buildings; and suggested that for a start, two four-bed shelters for males and one for females should be provided, and these could be added to if necessary. He thought that a limit should be fixed for the expendii ture on buildings, say £2OOO for buildings and adjuncts, and the architect could be required to keep the expenditure within that limit. After a conversational discussion of the question of co-operation, the Ash. burton delegates expressed themselves as personally favourable to the scheme, but they had no authority to say either yes or "no on behalf of the Trustees. They felt that they would be much safer in joining South Canterbury than in joining Christchurch, whose much bigger purse enabled them to go in for heavy expenditure, a share of which it would fall to Ashburton to bear. Messrs Craigie and Maslin approved ol' Dr Mason's advice to be content with a cheap class of building, and the former hoped that in this respect, as well as in the co-operation of two Boards, they would be able to set other sections of the Dominion an example to be followed. Mr Davis suggested that the South Canterbury Board should send delegates to Ashburton to meet the local bodies who would have to be contributors to a co-operative scheme. This will be brought before the Hospital Board to-day. Dr Mason said he would bo glad to attend such a conference to give any information he could. After lunch Messrs Lambie . and .1 Davis, and Mr Hart (a new member of the South Canterbury Board) were taken by Mr Gillineham by motor car to see the site which had been, purchased at Winscombe. They had a good look over it, and then the Ashburton delegates caught the evening express for homo. Seen at the railway station by a "Herald" representative, all three visitors said they were greatlv pleased witli the site, "an ideal site" wns an expression each of them used, referrine'to its altitude, sunny exposure, convenience for roading and drainage, nnd proximity to a railway station. Messrs Lambie and Davis both said that personally they, having seen the site, were prepared to recommend the Ashburton nepple to accent, the r-n----onerat.ion nroposal offered by South Canterbury.