An Interesting Report.

Thames Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 10499, 15 December 1903, Page 4

An Interesting Report.

• At the meeting of the Thames and Ooromandel United! Charitable Ai-1 Board las* evening the following annual report, fromi the Chairunan (Mr Hhos. Killgaur) was nead as under': •- I regret*, owing to unforeseen liroumistanoes,. thait I .was unable to b r; present at the statutory annual meetings' of the Charitaible Aid and Hospital Boards, held on the 2ndi inst'., in aociordaiice with- the provisional of "The Hospitals and Charitable 'Institutions' Ate*, 1885." I therefore tak<* thia opportunity to thank- the members' for their Tegular attendance at the meeting of the Board® during their past terni of office, and for the attention; they have' devoted' to the matters coming before them:, and also fo:' the assistamce and saupport accorded to the chair, to which cordial co-operation must be. attiribut:d any success or xsefulness which may have attended the conduct of ..he Board's affaire during' the past year. I ami.glad on this occasion to be >n a iposition: to inform you' that the finances: of the Board aire in a thoroughly sound condition, and itihat thy estimates of expenditure approved bythe local authorities bare-not been exceeded The balance-sheet dMy audited for. the financial year, ending March 21st, 1903, which is before you on *he table, i® proof of my remiarrks to that iperiod, and the position today is. as satisfactory asi at. that date. The amount of charitable arid dis>tributed in the three sub-divisions of the district, namely, Thames Borough and County, Ohineniiuri County, and Coromandell .County, notwithstanding that the staple industry •of the district, viz-, gioldmining, has been depressed from various oauses at the centres of Tliames and Coromamdel, has .iiiot bieern greater than was antioipate'd. When the present Board came into office, thei'e was ai disputed claim in existence from the Auckland .Hospital and Charitable Add Board for the relief of Thames persons resident in Aiuckland, amounting on March 31st last to £360 13s 7d; also a, cilaimi for , the treatment' of Thames residents) in the Auckland Hospital of £336 H& These' cilaiims, amounting together to ' a.sumi of £63 6 17s< 7d, gave the Board . much concern. I am therefore glad ,to ibe able to make tlie satisfactory ; announcement that the former claim ha® been settled by payment of the ( sumi of £1-25- anidl the latter (within ! the last few days) for £143 9 s 9dl The { saving thus, effected is £428 7s lOil, i which difference will permit a eorwvs■pondjinjg reduction] of the contributions required from local bodies for next year's operations. I The hospital and charitable aid | combined assessment fon- ithe ciunrent ! year is 34-64-ths 1 of a Id in the £ en the rateable value of property within ._ the district, and so' long as the asse^s- : menit is kept down to about aj half- : penny in the £ the cost of the serj vices performed is not excessive, an-J ( the funds placed at the disposal oJ j the Board's may be considered to re ' carefully administered. I Now that' this long outstanding . account with tlie Auckland Board has i been settled, I trust the ciharge for Thames residents haviing occasion to ' f obtain relief from other Boards will j not be .so heavy a 1 burden, on the rt« soiiirces of the Boaindisl in Phe futua-e, i and since the district is possessed oi . a thoroughly up-to-date hospital there should be no occasion whatever foi residents of this district entering the hospital of anyother district foe treatment except .under- exception iJ circumstances of sudden illness or ■ accident oocoirring when absent from I this district; in all other instances .residents of the Thaiine® Hospital District should; maike-uisie of their own District Hospital, of which.- they have every n'eason to be justly -proud. I The subject of .tlie maintenance of , destitute AUdr-en, of which unfortun- , ately from, various causes the Board .has at the present time twenty-three to provide for, hais also received considerable attention duning the past [year, and the Board alter inquiry is jof opinion that at the several irustitui lion® at whiohi the children are placid f tliley 'are well provided for in every ''respect. Tihe cost of maintenance oif _ these twenty-threef children is £252" per Tannuani, or about £11 eaich pecliild. The institutions at whicihi the ehildiren ai'e placed .are as follows: Ait St Mary'si andl St Joseph's.Orphanage® 13 childiien ; St. Stephen's Home , Parnell, 8; out-boarded! at other . places, 2 ; total, 23. I -During tJie }'ear the amount of the [Bertram legacy has. been paid to the j funds of the Board,, and (pending,its I;eventual aipipliaatiion the amount had " been placed at fixed deiposit at the Barik of 'New Zeiiland. The only wonk necessary to uieution wiliioh luas been pissed on to the inconjing Board ia the renovation; oi the 'building at the Honnies,.known as the Women's Home, plans for these alterations hare been adopted by the Board!, and it wasi deoLdted to hold the work owr till after ChristmasI tnust, (gentlemen, that the local bodies and.the public whom we i-epr> sentj will be .satisfiedl with our stewardship during • the past year, and I beg,; gentleman, to thank you again for the courtesy and assist atice which yoiu have always extended to me, throughout tlio yeatr als your I chairman.