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Sir Paul Chater also spoke. It was a pity, he said, that this difference between Dr. Stedman and Pr. Jordan should not be settled. If a matron were provided, he understood Dr. Stedman would heartily support the scheme. The Colony should be able to afford $1,000 towards the nurses having a home of their own, and he (Sir Paul) would engage to collect $1,000 a year if there were that deficit. It would be the best thing for the Colony if Dr. Stedman withdrew his opposition.
Eventually the original resolution was carried unanimously, with an addition to the effect that the success of the enterprise had been assured by the generous offer of Sir Paul Chater, and that a matron would be provided for the home.
However, the project was not destined to materialise.
In yesterday's article the brief history of the Hongkong Nursing Institution was commenced: we saw that it was formed in 1901, as a non-official concern, and three years later the question of building quarters for the two nurses was being considered. In the concluding article to-day, the merger of this body as a semi-government and then as an entirely official institution is traced.
The records show that a general meeting of subscribers to the Hongkong Nursing Institution was held at the City Hall on July 4, 1904, to receive the report of the committee on the proposed building of a home for the Nursing Institution, and to give final authority to the committee to commence the building.
The Hon. Mr. H.E. Pollock, K.C., (now Sir Henry Pollock) said he must confess that after considering the scheme he had come to the conclusion that it ought not to meet with any support. He had not the actual papers before him, but he thought he was correct in stating that at the time of the late Queen's Diamond Jubilee, when large subscriptions were obtained for three objects (1) Jubilee Road (he was afraid they had not got much benefit out of that); (2) a hospital; (3) the Nursing Institute. If he was correct, then the Institution had a strong case to put before the Government, that they should allow a portion of Victoria Hospital to be used for housing the nurses.
Mr. Pollock then moved as an amendment that the Hongkong Government be approached with a view to considering whether a portion of Victoria Hospital should be set aside for housing the nurses of the Nursing Institute and that, meanwhile, the consideration of the scheme for building a home be postponed.
Mr. Pollock's amendment was voted upon by ballot, thirty voting for and eight against. The result was received with applause.
At an annual general meeting of the Hongkong Nursing Institution held on November 10, 1904, it was stated that in accordance with the report, with the amendment which was carried at the previous general meeting on the question of the housing of the nurses, the committee wrote to the Government asking if it were possible for nurses to be housed in the Victoria Hospital Barker Road. The committee had received a reply in which His Excellency the Governor regretted he was unable to give the committee the assistance which they asked for in the matter.