HOSPITAL BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13907, 19 May 1909, Page 2

HOSPITAL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the South Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held at the Hospital yesterday. Present: Messrs F. R. Gillingham (chairman). J. Craigie. G. Lvall, G. Butler. T. linwkev, J. Holwell, \V. Hart, N. Francis, and W. S. Maslin. On behalf of Mr D. Grant, Mr Holwell applied for six month* leave of absence, Mr Grant having left on a trw Home.- —The application was granted. An apology for absence was received from Mr C. N. Orbell. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. The chairman said that the bank account stood :it £957, but the pay sheet that day amounted to £BO4-. and after paying this sum iho credit balance would be £l-53. A good many of the contributions from local bodies for the first half year had been received, and the Government subsidy would bo anplied for on the amount paid in. The Ashburton Hospital Board had written agreeing to the proposals of the South Canterbury Board in regard to the einsumption sanatorium at Fairlie.— This, was considered vrv satisfactory, and the chairman and Mr Craigie were 3"th r> ris°d to sign the agreement on behalf of the SvMitb. Canterbury Board. Continuing, the chairman said that the finance committee had met that morning and bad certified to the accounts. A handy man had been engaged to lpr>k after tb° rnrden at the hospital, and to do odd jobs about the hosDital. CORR FSPONDF.NCE.

The Mount P»el Road wr rtr, forwarding its lew f<-r the first, half year and asking whv the rate had lv">n po rrrnatly increased this The Board would like fuller particulars so that it mi"Tit be in a position to see th^t.'everything wa= in order.

The oh*»ir T "an said the Mount P»el Road Board h"d b~e" told y»"after vear that the Hospital Boa-d did not strike a rat- at all. b"t it <=till did not se o m to understand that this wis -'>. He had made a statement to tho Tirr""-u papers setting forth tho wh"le oosition; ■ the papers bad stated th° fncts very clearlv. and he did not think that there she'dd be any further misconception. The levy made by the Board amounted to about one eighth of a penny in the £.—Mr Gillingham added that he hoped the Mount Peel Road Board did not mean to insinuate that the Hospital Board was doing anything out of order.

The Temuka. Borough Council for.'.arded its levy for the half year. Messrs Perry, Perry and Kinnerney forwarded the agreement in regard to the consumption sanatorium for execution by the Board.

At last meeting of the Board Mr Butler made a suggestion (which was forwarded on to'the Minister in charge of the Health Department) that - with a view to checking the snread of consumption pamphlets should be printed bv the Department on the subject, and these given to Hospital Boards for distribution. The Minister now wrote approving of the suggestion and stating that he had given instructions to nave the proposal enquired into. —'"A compliment; to you, Air Jiutler," said Air craigie. ; ' The Department advised thao in future ilospual Hoards wouhi Od required to pay half tue ordinary i-iiargc tor telcpnones. —Agreed to. C. Begg ana Co. forwarded receipt for £ls i.2s being the cost of a phonugiapn supplied to the Talbot Hospital enrough subscriptions collected by Mr J. E. Hurdley.—lt was said that Air Hurdley had oeen thanked six months ago, and that the matron of the Talbot Hospital also deserved thanks as she collected a considerable portion of the money. A letter was received from Mr T. Tobin, forwarding cheque for £d, cost of his maintenance in the institution, and returuiug thanks for the way he had been treated while an inmate. The chairman mentioned that there were some very long stayers at the institution, andDr Bett, in reply to a question, said that at present there were eight patients who had been in more than the regulation two months. The Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board forwarded cheque for £ll, being the amount of a dividend from the Russell Trust. The Inspection of Machinery Department, advised as to the necessity for complying with the law in regard to the protection of the glass water gauges of boilers. GENERAL. Mr Butler and Mr Lyall reported on a visit of inspection they had paid to the institutions Generally speaking they found things in good order. Some planting required to be done at the Talbot Hospital grounds, and they recommended that a double row of macrocarpa trees be planted at the lower side of the grounds, the trees to extend over six chains. —The Board approved ot this, and decided to give the caretaker of the grounds the assistance of a man for three days to prepare the ground for the trees. The caretaker'of the Talbot Hospital reported that there were now no patients in the hospital, and one had been discharged since last reporting. All the wards had been thoroughly cleaned. He enclosed a list of the vegetables which he had sent to the General Hospital during the month.—The chairman said that the visiting committee had inspected the Talbot Hospital and found it beautifully clean. The matron of the general hospital reported that six nurses 'would sit for their final examination in June. The centre'for these examinations had been changed from Christchurch to Timani. by the Inspector General. Dr Unwin' and Sister Turner (Christchurch) had been appointed examiners in the practical work. CHARITABLE, AID. A number of charitable aid cases were dealt with. In the case of a family at Waimate, the secretary reported that the police had appronended the father (who Jiad been nu&sing; and lie had satisfied the Magistrate, beforewhom he had been brougut, that he was able to provide a home . tor, and support his family, and this being so; lie was given his freedom again. — ■ The Board expressed satisfaction . at this. In the. case of a young woman bolonging to Timaru \\ nose husband had deserted her and left her with four young-children to keep, the secretary reported, that he "had been giving temporary relief. The Board approved of his action,' and decided that the relief should be continued, this to be supplemented by relief frpm relatives, of the woman if she has any in a position-to give it. ' It was stated that when last heard of the husband was in Sydney, sleeping; out in the Domain there at nights. Mr Craigie reported on the case of the widow, Mrs Nicholas, in Timaru, who had been left with a family of young children. A number of generously disposed people, chielly ladies, had gone to a good deal, of trouble and had collected. £!]() for the unfortunate woman. Tbis they - % desired to hand iiver to the Board .with which-to-pur-chase a home for her, as they would be able to do when the Government, subsidy was'added-to the sum collected. It was .desired-to give Mrs Nicholas the option of."buying the home'if. she.were ever'in a position so to do. --'flic-Board decided to. invest the money as suggested and to permit Mrs Nicholas to purchase it if she should ever be able to do so. and'in the event, of her doing this, the original collection < f ' £llO would be placed to her credit, " '

The police reported at length on the case of some children who had boarded out in the Tcmuka district, and to prevent a repetition of sonic little trouble that had occurred the Board decided that the children should, be removed from their present home, the secretary to make fresh arrangements for their accommodation. Several other minor cases we::e reported upon by the secretary, whose action in each case was approved. ACCOUNTS. Accounts were passed for payment as follows:—Public hospital £283 7s 2d, Talbot hospital £2G lis sd, Waimate hospital £242 3s (3d, Old Men's Home £7O 3s Bd, Charitable Aid £lßl 19s 7d.