Thames Hospital.

Thames Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 7083, 15 January 1892, Page 4

Thames Hospital.

ANNUAL MEETING OF CONTBIBUTOES.

The annual meeting of contributors to the Hospital was held last eveniog in the Academy of Music, the Ect. Father ,o'Beilly presiding. Ahnttai Bepobt—Tho annaal report was read by the Secretary (Mr A. Brace) as folio we :—

"During the past yeai 1 the Hospital has been maintained in a thorough state of efficiency, the total cost of which has been less than in any previous year, although, the number of patients treated has been a considerable advance over any year of the past five years. To this satisfactory state of affairs the greatest credit is duo to your Resident Surgeon, Dr. Williams, and his able lieutenant, Miss Stewart, the Matron.. vAt tho close of the last financial year, March

31st, 1891, the Trustees found that although they bad gone to a considerable expense in i making additions to and furnishing the Pever Hospital, they had a balance in hand of £130. This sura enabled them to paint the General Hospital, erect a substantia, and neat picket fence around the grounds! and import a nnmber of first-class surgical instruments and a 36 cell galvanic battery from London. The Hospital is now well furnished inside and out, and the taste and care exercised in keeping the grounds in order makes the property a prominent feature in the town. Dr. McGregor, the In-spector-General, both on his annual visit of inspection and iv his report to Parliament spoke in the highest terms of praise of the manner in which tho Institution was managed and the faithful way the Hospital ' and Charitable Institutions Act was administered in.the Thames Hospital District. " From the annexed statement of Receipts

and Expenditure, you will perceive that the receipts have been £1693 Ss 9d, and the expenditure £1598 18e. Howler, by deducting the items, bnilding3 and repairs £150 3s, surgical instruments £52 6s 2d, and fHrniture £71 Os ,3d, on account of their non-reonrring nature, it leaves the cost of maintaining the Hospital during the year at £1325 9a 7d. The expenditure on maintenance in 1890 was £1431 17s 4d, and in 1889 £1565-4s Id. The amount received from patients' charges, £241 10s, is about the same as last year, and although very satisfactory when compared with the amount •collected in the past, is still short jpf what the' total should be. Tbe.Trnstees feel convinced thai most of the -patients treated at " the "Hospital can pay the limited. charges vti&i are made in 'each oaae, and' that after - i'no) ezoollent treatment they receive at the Hospital, paiienie should cheerfully and gratefully pay their accounts. In several cases this is bo, but the Trustees regret that there are many who make no effort to contribute, anything to the cost they have put the ratepayers: to, and the Trustees are set the unpleasant iasjt of enforcing paymiuc

" The amount expended on medical comforts is again of a very limited character, viz.: £10 12s 6d. The total cost of alcoholic stimulants for the 5| years that Dr Williams hag been in charge of the Hospital only amounts to £7110s, against £507 17s 4d for a similar period immediately preceding.

" There were less fever patients treated last year than usual, and so far this season only one case has been received. The sanitary arrangements made by the Borough has no doubt greatly assisted in bringing about this healthy record.

" The Trustees in their last annual report called the ratepayers attention to the continued attempts to throw all the cost of hospitals and charitable aid on to their shoulders, and, as Government have announced their intention to make radical alterations in the present Act next session, it behoves them to watch that the present subsidies are not curtailed. The section in Parliament who wish to saddle the ratepayers with the total cost consistently agitate to have the present hospital and charitable aid districts curtailed into small areas, such as each local body having its own hospital and providing for its own poor and indigent, they knowing that when this is accomplished the cutting off of the £ for £ subsidy will be an easy matter, and will certainly follow. The Trustees have always endeavored to make the call on the local bodies as low as possible, and from the practice of the strictest economy and the increased amount collected in patients' charges, they have been enabled to make reductions aB follows: —1889, the amount of assessment was £788 19s 6d; 1890, £650; 1891, £601 2s 4d; and as the Trustees expect to have a respectable balance at the close of the present financial year, they anticipate being able to reduce the call to £500 for the year 1892-93.

" The .Trnstees_ return their smccre thanks to all donors of gifts during the past year, and to all who have in any way assisted in the welfare of tho institution, likewise to the proprietors of the New Zealand Herald, Auckland Evening Star, Thames Advertiser, and Thames Evening Star for the gratuitous supply of their newspapers. . The Trustees also, before closing their report, desire to again record their highest approbation of the able and efficient manner in which Dr. Williams, Resident Surgeon, Miss Stewart, Matron, and the staff have performed their various duties."

Tho Chairman remarked that there was an omission of sorao importance in the report, viz. : the non-inclusion of the name of the Secretary, Mr Albert Bruce, therein as deserting of their heartiest ibanks. In Mr Bruce they bad a most assiduous snd painstaking secretary, and one who looked well after the interests and welfare of all the business in connection with hospital matters. Therefore he thought it was only right Mr Bruo8 fa name should bo included with the other officials mentioned.

This was doDo, and on the motion of Mr Prater, seconded by Mr Melhose, the report was adopted.

The rpport of the Eesident Surgeon (Dr. Williams) was similarly dealt with, after which the Chairman explained (hat as Messrs G. S. Clark and M. Mulligan were the only nominations received for the election of two Trustees, it merely remained for him to declare them reelected unopposed.

The usual compliment having been passed to the Chairman, the .meeting terminated.