Sessional_Paper_1896 — Page 709

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THE PRESIDENT informed the Witness that on the recommendation of the Com- mittee, His Excellency the Governor had agreed to make a grant of $3,000 to enable the Hospital Committee to erect a house for the accommodation of destitutes, provided the Hospital Committee agreed to look after the destitutes, as hitherto.

In answer to questions, Witness stated that sometimes there were 100 to 120 destitutes at the Hospital and sometimes very few. The Committee looked after these destitutes and provided them with passages to their homes, but they found it very difficult to use the funds of the Hospital for this purpose.

THE PRESIDENT-But you have always used the funds of the Hospital for that purpose? Yes.

If the destitutes become more numerous it will be a question for the Government whether they should not give a further grant in aid of this work, but if it goes on as at present I suppose the Hospital will have no objection to continue the good work it has carried on hitherto ?-There has not been enough money for the expenses of the Hospital for the last two years.

Dr. Ho KAI-Is the Hospital in debt ?-The sum of $5,900 was expended by Mr. LAU WAI-CH'UN when he was Chairman of the Committee on account of plague expenses, and when Mr. Lo CHI-T'IN was Chairman $1,700 was overpaid, making a total of $7,600.

And I think this year during your term of office you have had to make certain sanitary alterations in the buildings of the Hospital?—Yes; the first improvement cost $8,400. I will furnish a return of the total cost of the improvements.

Mr. CHATER-Where did you get that money?-We took it from the balance of the benevolent fund raised for the sufferers from famine and flood throughout China. The money was collected from the Chinese community. The Tung Wa Hospital hold it as Trustees. There was a balance of about $9,000, but the balance made over to me is only about $2,000, because $7,000 had been borrowed from it.

And how is the money raised every year that is subscribed for the Tung Wa Hospital?-By annual donations from firms and individuals in the Colony and its neighbourhood, and money is contributed from Australia and California.

Mr. WHITEHEAD-During your term of office how many cases have been removed by the order of the Government from the Tung Wa to the Civil Hospital ?-Fourteen ; three came back again to the Tung Wa Hospital.

Was it agreeable to these fourteen patients that they should be moved, or were they moved from the Tung Wa Hospital to the Government Hospital by order of the Govern- ment and against their own will?-There were three removed who were unwilling- LI LEUNG, CHAU KAM SING and SHING SING.

THE PRESIDENT-Besides these three do you know of any other cases of patients having been removed to the Government Civil Hospital against their own wishes ?— No, there were none besides these; the others were willing to go. Occasionally people ask us to take them over to the Government Civil Hospital.

Mr. WHITEHEAD-Were the Committee of the Tung Wa Hospital opposed to the removal of the three men who were unwilling to be removed to the Civil Hospital?-If the patients were not willing to go, the Committee did not dare to say they should not go. Mr. WHITEHEAD-Does the Government now order any patients to be removed from the Tung Wa Hospital to the Government Civil Hospital?—One or two are taken over occasionally by the Government. These are patients who are willing to go, but we Directors are not always there, and patients who are uncertain about being removed are taken to the Government Civil Hospital. We are told that they are willing to go, and we do not see them before they are removed.