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ST. ASAPH BOARD OF GUARDIANS.

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ST. ASAPH BOARD OF GUARDIANS. The fortnightly meeting of this Board was held at the Workhouse, St Asaph, on Friday horning, when there were present :—Mr R Llewelyn Jones (in the chair), Messrs E Morgan, W Jones, Bennet Jones, Ower Owens, T Howes Roberts, J Frimston, J Roberts, Hugh Roberts, Rice J Williams, J no Lloyd, C Thompson, J T Parry, J Kerfoot, aud Miss Bennett Water Supply. A report was read from the Visiting Com- mittee as to the water supply to the Work- house, which was at present insufficient. The committee recommended that the storage opacity be increased to 2000 gallons, and that the Rhyl Council be requested to give an increased and constant pressure. On the motion of Mr Morgan, seconded by Air J Jones, these recommendations were adopted. Sympathy with a Member. The Chairman said he was sure all those Present would regret to hear that one of their recently-elected Guardians from Denbigh had lot his wife. He was sure they all sympathised With Mr J S Roberts in his loss, and he would suggest that the Clerk send a letter of con- dolence from that Board. This was carried in silence. Workhouse Getting: Full. The Chairman said he noticed from the Master's books that the House was getting ull. The Master reported that the man -loses Jones, who was sent for 14 days' iInprisonment, had not yet fetched his wife and children from the Workhouse. The man Promised to take his wife and children out of *he Union at once if the magistrates did not Send him to prison. The man stated that he COuld not get a house, and had to take his children to the Workhouse. A Member remarked that he had had plenty of time to get a house. A Pauper's Crievances. The Chairman read the following letter received from the Local Government Board, who in turn had received it from a pauper who had stayed at the St Asaph IN orkhouse. The Local Government Board asked the Guardians for their observations on the subject Sir, Having been an inmate in the St Asaph Union, c, Iny own Union, some time ago, I was recom- mended by the Medical Officer of the said L nion to undergo an operation in the Royal Infirmary, Liverpool. The Board agreed to it; I objected to it, so I suppose they have a grudge against me. Last Saturday I was five or six miles away, being very wet. I applied to the Relieving Officer for a ticket of Emission at 9-15 p.m., and was told that he had no authority to give a ticket after six p.m., and told me to go to the sergeant of police for a vagrant's ticket. I was admitted to the Vagrant Ward, with one rug, in a condition not fit for any human being to cover himself with. I Was there three nights. The officer in charge of the Vagrant Ward was not seen all day on Sunday. When he is supposed to be there to give every meal, he is out. At 8 p.m. I asked a Pauper for a drink of cold water, but never got it. There is no communication between the Vagrant Ward and the porter's quarters, and m case of emergency what is a vagrant to do ? Hoping the Local Government Board will make a proper investigation of my case and the condition of the Vagrant Ward, I am, yours. etc.Robert Williams. P. S. -1 may add I airt 61 years of age." The letter caused quite a laugh. The Chairman said he thought the Local Government Board were wanting in common- sense for taking notice of such a letter. The Master produced his book, which showed that Williams was suffering from piles when he I ^as admitted to the House. He also suffered from an internal complaint, and the Medical Officer advised that he should be sent to the ^•oyal Infirmary, Liverpool, to undergo an operation. The man absolutely refused. When he came to the house the last time, he never conlplained of anything, in fact he asked to be allowed to stay until the Tuesday, which was three days in all. With regard to the rug, it Was one exactly similar to those given to other v^grants, and weighed nlbs, which was surely heavy enough for anyone. He denied that the rug was dirty, and that the man was refused water to drink. Some of the tramps were so lazy that they often left the tap in the ward running full on, and on one occasion he found the place swimming over with water. He had had the taps stopped up since, and now gave t, the men fresh water in cans. During his 27 Years of experience in the Workhouse, over 4,200 tramps had passed under his care, and he had never yet had a complaint of this Mature. If there was a man who ought to be thankful for the treatment he had received at the St Asaph Workhouse, it was this man ^illiams. He had often come to them in a half-dead condition, and had always been well cared for and looked after. As to the occasion to Which Williams referred to in his letter, he (the faster) would say that the man was not in a Proper condition to judge, as he had evidently been drinking. Miss Bennett thought there ought to be some sort of means of communicating from the ward to the porter's quarters. The Chairman I don't think we ought to provide electric bells for tramps (laughter). It was decided that the Clerk should reply to the Local Government Board, giving the Master's explanations. Well-deserved Holiday. The Relieving Officer applied for three weeks' holiday. It was remarked that the Relieving Officer deserved the holiday, inas- much as he had a lot of work to do, and appeared very much run down in health. A Member We do not pay our officer too much money considering the amount of work he does. The officer was called into the room, and was asked if he could get someone to do his Work, provided the Guardians granted him the holiday. The Officer said he thought he could get it done all right. The Board decided to grant three weeks' leave of absence, and to pay the costs of the deputy appointed to do the work in the mean- time. The Relieving Officer expressed his thanks. Statistics. The Master reported that during the past fortnight 15 persons had been admitted to the House, 10 had been discharged, and there were now 138 inmates, as compared with 126 in the corresponding period of last year. There had been 51 vagrants in the ward during the past fortnight, an increase of one. Rhyl Isolation Hospital Charges. A letter was received from the Rhyl Urban District Council stating that the charge in future for the maintenance of paupers in the Isolation Hospital resident outside Rhyl will be £ 3 os per week, instead of 12s. 6d. hitherto charged. The letter was as follows:—"The Local Government Board having restricted the dumber of patients to be received into the Wards, and entirely prohibited the use of the administrative block or house for hospital Purposes, it became necessary to revise the conditions as to the admission of patients, and the Council has directed me to send you a copy of the revised scale of charges and conditions. -yours truly, ARTHUR ROWLANDS, Clerk. The revised scale of charges is as follows For Patients per had per week, including main- tenance and one nurse, but not medical attendance :—For adult residents, 10s child- ren under 14, 5s adult Visitors staying in Rhyl, zCt-I 2s; children under 14, El Is; adults fr&m outside district, £ 3 3s children Under 14, f.2 2s; Rhyl paupers, adults, 10s; children under 14, 5s. The Chairman said the Council had reduced the scale of fees for Rhyl paupers, but had lncreased the fee for paupers outside Rhyl from 12s 6d to gi. Mr Howes Roberts remarked that it seemed pe a very unueighbourly arrangement. If this 0 excessive charge was pointed out to them perhaps the Council will reconsider the matter. The Chairman said the Council could charge just what they liked. They had no doubt done it in the interests of the hospital itself, as it was an expensive institution to maintain. He did not suppose that the increased charge would materially affect the Union, as there were very few cases from outside Rhyl at the Hospital. The Clerk said there had been one case from Abergele, and one from Denbigh. Mr Evans That case did not belong to Abergele. It was an Italian, who came to Abergele from Denbigh, and after staying at our principal hotel—(laughter)—a few hours, he was taken to the Isolation Hospital. The Chairman said that in conversation with Dr Lloyd on the subject of the hospital, that gentleman pointed out that the hospital had cost a considerable sum. Whether there was a pacient in the hospital or not it had to be kept going. Mr Morgan said he did not think there vas much consistency in the charges. Mr H Roberts eventually proposed that the Rhyl Council be asked to agree to a charge of RI Is for outside paupers sent to the hospital. Mr J Jones seconded. Mr Frimston said, as a member of the Rhyl Council, he would like to remind the Board that the hospital was costing the town a large sum of money. In fact they had just spent £300 or A:400 on it. The hospital was built in the interests of Rhyl and not of the outside district. It was an expensive place to keep going, and anyone who wanted to take advantage of it ought to be prepared to pay towards its maintenance. The people who visited the town and spent money in it deserved consideration. Mr Thompson As a rule it is the visitors. who bring infectious disease to a town. The Clerk mentioned that on an average there were only two or three cases per annum. In addition to the cases from Abergele and Denbigh there had been one from Prestatyn. Mr W Jones said that Rhyl ought not to show a bitter spirit to the outside district, *seeing that the outsiders spent so much money in Rhyl. Mr R J Williams thought the district was being unfairly treated in the matter. On the proposition of Mr Bennett Jones it was decided to form a small committee to meet the Rhyl Council and discuss the matter. The committee elected were :-The Chairman, Messrs Howes Roberts, R J Williams, T Evans, J D Jones, E Morgan, and the Clerk.

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