537
5.
to clause 45 the Majority Report, and particularly to its concluding sentence. "At the same time we think that it would be of advantage to the Hospital, would facilitate its relations with the Government and the public, and would secure continuity and uniformity in its arrangements, if there were associated with the annually elected Committee some Chinese residents of long standing who have had experience of the Hospital and whose advice would be respected by, and whose views would carry weight with, the Chinese community." It was thus that the "permanent advisers to the Tung Wah Hospital" came into being - and they have been a tower of strength to its management. To their sound advice and valuable assistance, the Hospital is under a debt of gratitude.
ADVISERS RECOGNISED BY STATUTE
Pausing here, I should like to mention that the Permanent Advisers have now received statutory recognition, as section 11 of the Tung Wah Hospital Ordinance 1930 provides as follows:- "(1) There shall be a committee to be known as the Advisory Board whose duties shall be to advise the Directors upon occasion on any matter affecting the corporation or its administration; (2) The Board shall consist of not more than fifteen persons, four of whom shall be nominated by the Directors of the previous year annually and shall hold office for one year, and the remainder of whom shall be appointed by the Governor for such period or periods, and upon such terms, as he shall think fit....."
3
I may add that the Representatives of the Chinese have always been on the Advisory Board: as all Rotarians know, the present Representatives of the Chinese are Rotarians Sir Shou Son Chow, R.H. Kotewall, S.W. Tso, and T.N. Chau. These gentlemen, with Sir Robert Ho Tung, Mr. Li Yau Tsun, Rotarian Wong Kwong Tin, my father, Mr. Lo Cheung Shiu, and Mr. Li Po Kwai all of whom have been serving for many years, together with some more recent appointments, now constitute this Board.
CHAIRMAN STONED DURING PLAGUE
To proceed with the quotation.- "A perusal of the Report and of the extracts printed at the end of this note, must strike the reader very forcibly as to the great strides which the Institution has made since 1896. In those days Western medical and surgical treatment was not only non-existent in the Tung Wah, but was the object of deep-rooted distrust and suspicion in the minds of most of the Chinese residents. Take, for example, the proposal suggested by some of the Commissioners (which was promptly acted on), that there should be a Chinese Doctor educated and trained in Western methods who would give such general assistance as required, and keep the register of deaths. In reference to this suggestion Mr. Ku Fai Shan, Chairman in 1896, said to the Commissioners at the meeting held on the 16th April, 1896:
'If you gentlemen were to give an order that it should be done, we would like it recorded in the books as one of the new rules of the Hospital, so that we might avoid having any trouble with the Chinese public. The directors would not like to have the same treatment accorded them as was accorded Mr. Lau Wai Chun during the Plague when he had his chair overturned and was pelted with stones. He was Chairman of the Hospital Committee at that time. We directors would get the blame if any new rule were introduced such as you propose. We would not dare to make the innovation ourselves.'
537
5.
to clause 45 the Majority Report, and particularly to its concluding sentence.. "At the same time we think that it would be of advantage to the Hospital, would facilitate its relations with the Government and the public, and would secure continuity and uniformity in its arrangements, if there were associated with the annualy elected Committee some Chinese re- sidents of long standing who have had experience of the Hospital and whose advice would be respected by, and whose views would carry weight with, the Chinese community.' It was thus that the "permanent advisers to the Tung Wah Hospital" came into being - and they have been a tower "of strength to its management. To their sound advice "and valuable a ssistance, the Hospital is under a debit of "gratitude....."
ADVISERS RECOGNISED BY STATUTE
Pausing here, I should like to mention that the Fermanent Advisers have now received statutory recognition, as section 11 of the Tung Wah Hospital Ordinance 1930 provides as follows:- "(1) There shall be a committee to be known as the Advisory Board whose duties shall be to advise the Directors upon occasion on any matter affecting the corporation or its administration; (2) The Board shall consist of not more than fifteen persons, four of whom shall be nominated by the Directors of the previous year annually and shall hold office for one year, and the remainder of whom shall be appointed by the Governor for such period or periods, and upon such terms, as he shall think fit....."
3
I may add that the Representatives of the Chinese have always been on the Advisory Board: as all Rotarians know, the present Representatives of the Chinese are Rotarians Sir Shou Son Chow, R.H. Kotewall, S.W. Tso, and T.N. Chau. These gentlemen, with Sir Robert Ho Tung, Mr. Li Yau Tsun, Rotarian Wong Kwong Tin, my father, Mr. Lo Cheung Shiu, and Mr. Li Po Kwai all of whom have been serving for many years, together with some more recent appointments, now constitute this Board.
CHAIRMAN STONED DURING PLAGUE
To proceed with the quotation.- "A perusal of the Report and of the extracts printed at the end of this note, must strike the reader very forcibly as to the great strides which the Institution has made since 1896. In those days Western medical and surgical treatment was not only non-existent in the Tung Wah, but was the object of deep-rooted distrust and suspicion in the minds of most of the Chinese residents. Tak, for example, the proposal suggested by some of the Commissioners (which was promptedly acted on), that there should be a Chinese Doctor educated and trained in Western methods who would give such general assistance as required, and keep the register of deaths. In reference to this suggestion Mr. ku Fai Shan, Chairman in 1896, said to the Commissioners at the meeting held on the 16th April, 1896:
'If you gentlemen were to give an order that it should be done, we would like it recorded in the books as one of the new rules of the Hospital, so that we might avoid having any trouble with the Chinese public. The directors would not like to have the same treatment accorded them as was accorded Mr. Laŭ Wai Chun during the Plague when he had his chair overturned and was pelted with stones. He was Chairman of the Hospital Committee at that time. We directors would get the blame if any new rule were introduced such as you propose. We would not dare to make the innovation ourselves.'
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