HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9111, 10 June 1908, Page 5

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID.

THE GOVERNMENT MEASURE. BY TELEGKAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, June 9. A conference of members of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boarda representative of almost every part of the Dominion began to-day to consider the Government Bill to be introduced during the coming session of Parliament. The Hon. G- Fowlds opened the conference, and explained the measure, stating that no doubt >scme of the decisions of the conference would be embodied in the Bill. The Government Bill was in po serse a party measure, but one demanded by public opinion. He quoted figures to show that while the population of tl:e Dominion had not ooubled, yet expenditure qn hospitals and charitable aid h d nearly trebled. The increase in charitable aid had gone without the bounds of reason, the prosperity of the last twelve years. He hoped one result of the conference's deliberations would be a reduction in this cost, especially on outdoor relief, which could not but have had an effect on the Dominion at large. Dr Valintine, Inspector-Genera 1 , of Hospitals andjCharitableJAid,delivered an address, sketching what he conceived to be the ideal system. Dr Valintine said that there was need for reform in the present law governing hospitals and the charitable aid system. What they wanted was a system that would make itself felt in all parts of the Dominion, not only, as at present, in the districts surrounding towns. Each district should be self-contained, and in each there should be (1) the base hospital; (2) subsidiary or cottage hospital; (3) infectious diseases ward; (4) consumptive annexe; (5) old people's home; (6) chronic and incurable wards; (7) system of poor relief operating with private charity on the Elberfeld system; (8) a system of district; nursing which would supply the link in the chain between the base hospital and the backblocks hospital. The districts would of necessity have to be fairly large, and it would be necessary for boards to have under their control charitable aid as well as hospitals. The chairman of the board should be elected for three years, and the posit on should be an honorary one. There were good reasons why the appointments of matrons should be under departmental control. Dr. Valintine also reviewed the provisions of the Government Bill which has been in circulation during the recess, and said the proposed gradual. reduction of subsidies was directed more at indiscriminate expenditure on outdoor charitable relief than at expenditure on hospitals. On the motion of Mr C. M. Luke (Wellington Hospital Trustees), it was resolved, by 63 votes to 4, that the functions of hospitals and charitable aid should be administered by one body. After some discussion it was agreed, on the motion of Mr Bellringer (Taranaki), that the present mode of election be adhered to. The conference will resume tomorrow.