HOSPITAL BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14156, 16 March 1910, Page 2

HOSPITAL BOARD.

LAST MEETING OLD BOARD. The last meeting of tlie South Canterbury Hospital an'd Charitable Aid Board as at present constituted was held yesterday. Present—Messrs F. 11. Gillingham (chairman), G. Butler, N. Francis, T. Hawkey, J. Holwell, T. L. Hart, C. N. Orbell, and J. Craigie. Mr Maslin sent an apology. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. This /being the last meeting the new Board coming into, office on April Ist, the Chairman made a fuller statement than usual, and submitted a statement of accounts fpr the year to date, which practically means the end of the year. The credit balance was nearly £4OOO, the amount being swelled by £IOOO levied upon local bodies and Government subsidy thereon on account of the consumption sanatorium. The other £2OOO would iust about carry the Board over the two months to elapse before the next levies came in. The new hot-water system at the Timaru Hospital, by which the heat of waste steam from the laundry engine would be utilised would be started shortly. With regard to the sanatorium a cross fence wns necessary to protect the plantation ' from stock grazing on the portion leased for cropping. This portion might bo sold, as it would leave 30 acres'for the sanatorium which would bo quite enough. Thu trees planted were doing well. There vrevp now 72 families (280 souls') receiving charitable aid: 39 children were boarded out in private •home::., and in various institutions at a cost of £<*7o venr: there wore 3o in the Old Men's Home. : and at present there wore 05 patients in the general hosoitals and -J in the 1 albot". Hospital. There was also a constantly changing list of persons temporarily assisted with' charitable aid. The statement of accounts for the year to dine would show that the 'maintenance, expenditure had been reduced without impairing efficiency; considerable economies had been effected, and he booed the ivw Board would proceed on the same lines. The neiv Board would tiiul itself much more restricted in its management of the t'lian c.s than previous Boards had been, the new Act giving the Department new powers of control and interference'. They would, however, have more power of control, over the Wainiate Hospital: to all intents and purposes this would be in the hands of the Central Board. With regard to subsidies, they would not be so well off. 1 n the past they had had *a; simple svstem of £ for £. In future the calculation of a subsidy would be a- difficult matter; The amount of subsidy depended on the amount of levy, the higher the levy the greater the subsidy. And it would he largely guess work to get at toe amount of levy required. Then the amount of levy must depend upon the amount of subsidy, and* this was subject to the discretion of the Minister, who might reduce the amount below that stated in the Act. Nothing had been done with regard to the conference with Dunedin regarding the admission of consumptives at the Palmerstou Sanatorium. The Inspector-General was to arrange a conference, but he had not done so yet. He had choked off the erection of buildings at Fairlie, and had done nothing else. The new Board would have to consider the question of erecting a new Old Men's Home, or to arrange with some other institution to take the old men.

- A statement of accounts to date prepared bv the secretary was then submitted by the chairman, who made some comparisons with last year as he read the items.

The receipts were as follows: —Locnl bodies' payments, £6100; donations, £548 13s 4d; Government subsidy. £6710 3s Id; Ashburtou Hospital Trustees account consumptive sanatorium, ,-£ll2 0s 3d; Timaru Hospital patients' payments, £596 ]s sd; Talbot Hospital do., £43 15s; charitable aid recoveries, £ll9 32s 6d; Old Men's Homo receipts (old age pensions), £3BO 15s; total, £14,641 Os 7d. The expenditure had been :—Debit balance at bank, paid off, £577 6s 7d; charitable aid (Temuka borough £2S3 16s 5i G eraldine £l4l 12s 9d, Timaru £556 15s lOd, Waimate £lB2 12s lOd, Gerakline County £lB2 15s 2d, Levels r£2os 10s Bd, Mackenzie £lls 4s Pd Waimate £152 18s 9d), £lß2l 7s 2d; Timaru Hospital (maintenance £4045 9s 4d; buildings, children's ward £66 14s. consumptive shelters £ls Is 6d), £4127 4s 10d~: AVaimate Hospital (maintenance £1509 10s lid, new buildings, etc. £147 19s 6d), £1657 10s sd; Consumptive Sanatorium, £52 9s 3d;,Talbot Hospital, maintenance, £340 12s sd; (lid Men's Home, maintenance, £B2O 17s lOd; funerals, £l7 7s 6d; Mrs Nicholas' house, £330; Mrs Burns' house, £389 19s 6d; office, salaries, bicycle, travelling, rent, telephone, printing, advertising, etc., etc., £415 14s 8d; other items. £134 14s Id; bank crodit balance, £3955 16s 4d; total, £14,641 0s 7d.

lii conclusion, Mr Gillingham thanked the members for their loyal support during the year. The lionrcl agreed that the cross fence at "Winscombe should be erected, and approved of the acceptance of a tender at £l6 a year for live years for grazing on the spare land at Talbot Hospital Mr Craigie complimented the chairman on his report and statement of accounts, and recommended that a copy be sent to each contributing body.— (Hear, hear.) He made a few remarks 011 the new Bill, and the special provisions relating to Waimate Hospital, saying that as two members of the Waimate Committee were to be appointed by this Board, the two bodies could be kept in closer touch than hitherto. He was glad to bear what the chairman said about the Old Men's Home, and he hoped the new Board would not think of sending the inmates to another district. They should keep their own institutions. BY-LAWS. The Inspector-General returned therevised by-laws, approved as sent, save that he added a clause regarding certain instruction to be given to nurses Iby the Matron. It was said that this was in accordance with nresent practice. The by-laws were adopted, to coma ; into force on 31st inst. | VISITING COMMITTEE. For himself and Mr Lynll, the Visiting Committee, Mr Butler reported on the outside arrangements of the three Timaru institutions, and stated: that it had been arranged that the Hospital gardener should supervise the work of the caretaker at Talbot Hospital, so as to make the best use of th# vegetable garden. SURGEON'S REPORT.

Br. 'Olrich reported that there had been 156 out-patients' attendances, 23 operations, and 3 patients attended at Talbot Hospital. He asked that some chairs be supplied in the wards for visitors—there should be at least one for each bed —and for a couple of couches for patients able to get ut>, but not to get about. He gave in also a list of instruments required, and reminded the Board that an honorary dental surgeon had not yet been appointed to succeed Dr. Cox. The suggestions re furniture were approved, and it was agreed to appoint one or two honorary dental surgeons, names to he submitted by Dr. TJlrich, with names of next year's honorarv medical staff. TOO MITCH CREDIT BALANCE. Mr Orbell pointed out that the credit balance included money which some local bodies were paying interest on overdrafts for, and the monev was now lying in the same bank producing nothing. As thev were not going to' build at Fairlie they might aa wolf de-

posit that money and get something for it. The Chairman agreed; but they had better leave it to the new Board. Mr Hart suggested reducing the levy next year on account of the £2OOO they had in excess. Mr Craigie urged that the money was got for a speqial purpose, and should be earmarked for that, or else used to erect a new Old Men's Home. They should pay the £9OO owing on the Fairlie site, and save the o per cent, on ,'tliat. After some discussion it was unanimously agreed to pay off the £9OO on \the Fairlie site, Mr Orbell saying that thev would have to give three months' notice. , HOSPITAL RETURN. The Secretary reported 48 admissions to the Timaru Hospital during February. making 103 treated : 47 had been discharged, leaving 50 in hospital at. the end end of the month. There had been one death, an inmate of the Home. A brief report was also read by the Matron. Mr Francis mentioned that on looking over the accounts he found that various articles such as towels had been got by retail, that could be got cheaper in large quantities. He understood that no stock-book was kept by the Matron. There should be one. and then orders for quantities'could be made un from time to time. CHARITABLk AID. A few small charitable aid cases were dealt with. - The .Secretary reported that a boy who had proved unruly when hoarded out privately had been sent to the Salvation Army Home for boys at Eltham. at 6s a- week, the same ns was naid here, but it cost £o to send him. _.Tt was agreed to grant £o to Mrs \oung to get some linoleum for floor in the Home. A discussion took place .on hard-up swaggers. ACCOUNTS. passed for pavment were £•533 0s Id, which would leave in the Bank £3955 10s. WINDING TP.

Tiio Clisisrmnn invited the members to lunch with him, as this was their last meeting. _.M'- I'Vpif.ic expressed regret- tlin' Messrs Craigio and Hawkev would be absent from the new Board, and Vv Hawkey in thanking Mr Kraneis for his reniart;, said he would have been a candidate but for a misunderstanding about the nomination.

The Chai>—"i" ——l ' - to Messrs Butler and Lyall, for then; excellent service as v; s it- - nt r Com:i::Lt<\~~ and this concluded the business.