The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-02-08 00:00:00

BRIDPORT DISPENSARY AND COTTAUE
HOSPITAL.

TIN annual general meeting of the above excellent
institution we held on Holiday morning last in the
Council Cumber, under the presidency of W. Collor,
Esq.. B.A. The attandanos, oonelderaig the large number
of subscribers, 11•1 limited. There Were present—ma
Worship the Mayor (C. Elmund EN.), J. T. Stephens.
Eng. (ex-Mayor), Comfit W. T. Wt,ettuun, Revs. Russeili,
Lank Ciitspouter. and F. J. Austin, Your& W. H. Chick.
W. H Meals,, T. Rats, W. Knight, H. Howell. 11.
Cosier, T. H. Edmunds, and the hon. see., Hr. G. M.
Evans _
_

—The Coalman remarked that once mare the Ume to
hold their annual meeting bed opine round. There warn
but little in the report, but whet there was would, he felt
sure, prove satisfactory to all of them. Hs Vetted to add
nothing more in introduction, but would call upon the
secretary I, read the report.
The following excellent rf port and gratifying financial
statruient was then reed by Mr. Errors :—"ln lo:emoting to
the subscriber, tbe fourteenth annual report of the Brit!.
port Dispensary and Oettate Rospitel, the mminittee,
with dmp thank! ulnae.. acknowledge the tiontinu.d
factey working of the institution placed under their care.
Beyond this they have but few remarks to make, no
special event calling for notice has occurred; but they
venture to believe that the past year's moo .11 sad
uneventful working has been as useful sad treoeficial as
b.rretotore. The Jolt:minx are the statistics:
Number of patients admitted to the dispensary dories
1880. I 16; nuailrir of patieote remaining in hospital
at UM mid of 1879,3' admitted during IMO, 51; dls:
*barged, 10 ; relievrd, 96; died, 1; remainine in hoop,tel.
4 ; Fite), 51. Average number of beds occupied weekly,
4.5; largest number at one time, 8. Dispensary patients
ere sewer by 38 than last year. Ou the other hand the
number of hospital patients is lamer, and also the weekly
average. The committee teal that they ere In a p mitten
to tepid favourably on the working of the rule imposing
a 1..; in no cam has were been any difficulzin obtaining
it—indeed, almost invariably it is gladly t . It will be
seen, referring to the finsacial statement, that the sum
realised from this source Is almost idestioal with that of
last year, sad to, as tee committee then remarked, a
valuable eddit.on to their receipts. With regard to toe
other items of income, the subscripum list, which the com-
mittee cannot but consider as to. most lomat tent to keep
at Its highest possible standard, shows a slight Jailing off,
while the esn,..unt received from the ocingreestanal
collections shows • marked sad much to be deplored
dectstee Still the committee would not wish to show
themselves otherwise tam deeply grate al far the exertions
which procated them the most inconsiderable sum from
this mares, and trust that the coming hospital Sunday
may show a Imps return. Dodge the Lead of doaations
im last pear's report the Imes mos which there appeared
was the result of a special appeal, which of course bas not
been repeated this year. The result of the whole year's
working shows a balance to hand of £lB 18i. 41. Tee
special liability for repairs alluded to is last year. report
bas not been quite removed, nearly +95 rernalnimr, so that
the reel balance should be about /IL The domestic and
general arrangements of the hospital continue in • oati..
factory condition. and the committee again recommend the
Institution as thoroughly deserting of sympathy and
support

----- -
Fusatecee
Fttc•ipts :—Dinner ticket* sold, CU Si, 6d.; subscrip-
tions, £lOB Mrs. Leis charity, £BBl.. 101 ; Caner,-
gational coAirc,toos, £45 3i. 31 ; eollecitieg boxe, lti.;
woek sold, 6s. 21; rent, 1:114 les. 31; doestions„ 10a 61.;
admission lees, £145..; balance from last year, 15s. ;
total, £349 is. VI. Payments :—Bisteber, £49 fle. 111.;
baker, £l4 19. 51 •' grocer. SU 13e. 9d., eggs. £3 2-. OK;
greengrocer, £3 35.31.; mllk, £49 17s. 6i: 1:wel and C Ate,
£136.. AI 1. ; re it, rates, taxes, and Insurance, £52 16s. lld ;
wages, /in 11.. 14.; &no and appliances, 1:31 5.. ad.;
seationari, p er... £4 14.. Sid.; forelture and
repairs, g 1 s- Ils. I.; gardener, £315.. 114.; washing,
£l33a Id; gas, £8 12.. 111.• sundries, £3 18i, 31.; total,
.C 312 8.. 101.; baleuc £1618.. dl.; grand al, £349 7. 21.
Examined and found coirect, W. TOWN= WMITHAJL
January We, 1881."
The will% reference to the donations hieing
less this year, as given in the report, said be wished to
reed them a most gratifying letkr erhkgt had just been
received by the 0-..retary. The letter warn to the effect
, but • legacy of £l9 had been beqoe steed to the Hospital
Fend by the Lao Yrs. F.oks„ oi Burton Breistock, and
tnat the sum would soon be forwarded. (ApPlause).
Mr. CaltrtriTia moved the a loptlon of the vapor,
which he considered to be satislactoey, the balance being
on the richt side. The income waa riot quite so large, but
Mee Lees charity was yielding them £2l more this year.
With regard to the Coagregatlostal cull.ctions being this
year less, he imputed the settee to be, that about the time
the collections were made the Sunday &hoof Centenary
was being observed, and that neoesaitated an calif tif
elisions congregatioha tie was pleased to see the expenses
he, and that there war an increase of those availing item.
selves of the privileges of the H.epital. Many of the
penury pimiento falling off, he hoped, may be ace iuntld
tor by the iiirainuti.in in the 1111WOULlt oi sickness in the
town. Mr. Evans, appealed to, said that was tm -
The r 'port showed that this had been an uneeentful year.
Ifs bad, however, beard it statvi from out 4 is that
articles wanted repairing. If tbia was the case, he biped
the committee would see to it, now that they bad foods in
band.

Mr T. RAILS seconded the motley, which was unani.
mutely carried.
The Rev. FT. Aurruq moved: That Mr. C. Unmade
he president, Mr. J. T. Stephens be treasurer, Mr. G. M.
Evans he secretary, and the foilowine form the conuottes
for Mel —Mears. H. F. Hommel', J. P. Suttill, A. Bor..
notch, H. G. Demmer& C. Wilson, 8. Whetbani, T. El.
Edmunds, and W. H. Clock."
Mr. Mime said he knew bow willingly and efficiently
Mr. C. &Upends (the Mayor) eondueted the duties
required of hire, and they had equal cooddence in all the
gentlemen in their menagement.
Seconded by C tut tin Witsrudi and carried.
Mr. T. H. KOMI/NM moved "That the thanks of the
committee be given to the ladles for their assistance.'
Seconded by Mr. Cnicu.
The ladies, oboes assistance has proved invaluable, were
Mrs. Chick, Misses Tucker, aed Mrs. Evans.
The Mares moved "That the thanks of the subscr,bera
be elven t the honorary medical officers and dispensers."
Seconded by Mr. H. HoWILL and canted.
Mr. W. H. KaleLIT moved "That the thanks of the
sub's:Mien be given to the immune, secretary, and corn.
This was seconded by Mr. H. COIKEIL
Mr. Roan said that at a general meeting it was
necessary that a medical officer should be appointed by the
governors, mid he would ask that Kr. W. A. K. Hay
(medical practitioner), .ho was of ten present with his
father t/ assist, should be added to the list of medical
officer,. (Aoplaues)
Mr. HOWILL seconded, and the prop uition was cordially
carried.
Mr. J. T. Svensson moved a vote of thank" to tit.,
Chairman for Presid.ng. which was warmly accorded.
The Clialletaa haring briedy responded, the business
terminated.

About as mesa a trick as the pilfering of a penny
from a blind man's hat, has just been perpetrated for
the second time. It was discovered on Monday morn-
in.( that two more of the young trees, recently planted
in South-street, were ruthlessly and irretrievably
ruined ; and only a few weeks since a couple of them
were found with the bark stripped, ostensibly with a
view to kill them. The Local Board, under whoa,
directions the trees were planted, offered a reward of
40s, for the discovery of the offenders in the first
instance, but the perpetrators have not been brought to
justice. Such despicable acts as these one could not
find charity enough to charge any ratepayer of Bridport
with, tilt such a charge could be bnnight home to him,
unless, perhaps, some one of them might be totally
ignorant that the faulting of those trees never cost them
a farthing, or likely to. If it is a ratepayer, it would he
better if he, instead of doing little else but grumble at
the tax-collector and the taxesi, would only take the
trouble to watch the working of the municipality, he
would have known that various ladies and gentlemen,
, did, at their own expense, offer to kdsnt trees in the
streeta, and that the Local Board wisely accepted the
Is offer, simply undertaking to see the work carried —and not only so but various private families volunteered
' to pay for the trees, which will, if left alone beautify
ileir residences. I would suggest two plans for
adoption, which I think would effectually put the coop
de grecs to this wanton work of destruction. Let the
Board issue a public notice egging that as soon as the
trees are molested, steps will be at mice taken to re-
place them; the expense of such restoration to be
charged to the rate • or, failing this the Board might
wogs a guard on patrol to watch the trees nightly.
the cost a maintaining such guard to be relied upon
the ratepayms. Such steps, would, I am ineined to
believe, prove • much stronger incentive that &reward
of 40s, for then every rstepayer, in his own indisidual
interests, would exercise exertions to bring the oflenders
, to juslaoe.

There is no doubt but that the same person or I
persons are implicated in each case, but coy as they
may pride themselves to be, they may rest asasured
tnat a strict vigilance will overtake them, and the
consolation from finding but little mercy from the
bench, and an equal quantity of comm ration on
the part of their neighbours, will hardly console teem
for the Ignoble destruction. We have one of the
cleanest and most picturesque of towns, commanding
even from its centre, " Cool dells and rural slopes,"
and *hen philanthropic hands pL-oe at our disposal
the means end material Wied which to enhance the
health and hehuty of the town itself, it Ii haro Sp think
of those so 1 at to every sense of the beautiful, so
oblivious of oradieworthy kindness, otherwise than in
the light of degraded, infatuated savages.
---
Hospital work, with all Its unwearied, persevering
toils, the lofty sympathy which the indefatigable
deeth have engendered in the hearts of the puhlic
and the Fratitoile ol the patients, and which leave a
tn..' of light in the path of those engaged in it, must
have often :mien uppermost in the tioughts of us all.
There is no work teeming with such benevolence, or
so replete with Chrisdan charity as this, la work k°
which few are complete :.arigers, for it is one which
has long since roused the ent.itisiasm of every civilised
I nation. Who Lust 'aas enteied a wa.d of a hospital in
any of our large t and left it untouched
I by the scenes which met his gas.? Here
I occasionally generous peewits of rank personally
succour augering humrnity. The homeless, the orphan,
and the artisan, esi..h with his own bitter his Lory, a• •
boon oempanion fir the disease which is wrecking an
already emaciated frame—but then the brighter aide
of Vie picture prmeate itadf—here they an nursed and
fed in a welcome retreat, &Leaded by benevolent
creatures, whose gentle hands and sweet smiles remove
much of tin gall and wormwood. Here surgical and
medical assistance Is given, and every comfort, yek
even 'unity, enjoyed. IS is al• t.:)er • to lag
plcture of rfmpasthy and unwsrled patience, whh a
di admixture of selfslerotedness, self.sacrifies,
and cla sri ' able minis: -Minn. At I fora) this a Sabbath in
each yes.r is tel apart for denominational collections;
flow the funds from tense thausands of willing givers.
The bozos at tits hous-s of Inuine-a and the war hops
pour out thslr annual &Ara, and these added to the
former maks up • goodly NM. Ta the redit of Brid-
port %bon is bars an lastilidioo of this klad, which Is

conducted on a sound and excellent basis. At the
annual meeting, held on Monday, a satisfactory report
Was prevented by the secretary, but the finance sheet
bore Lav black spot which should never have been
there, viz., that the amount realised by subscription
boxes in the town was tiodoe :killings. Thls is surely
most deplorable statement, and conaluering the
number if boxes placed about the town, does
not say much for the outside voluntary donations.
It is much to be regretted that an Institution,
thoroughly undenombuttlonal in Its working,
productive of immense benefit, should be obliged to
make such a return. Why are there not more zee
fixed Where Is the box at the Post-offioe ? (for the
Postmaster-General sanctions it), and where is the box
at the Town Hall, for Rarely the Council, many mem-
bers of It being good supporters of the oause, would
welcome It? And again; where hi the box at the
Working Men's Institute? Let the governors of the
hospital send one to the latter institution, and If, at
the end of the year, the working men do not put to
I shame the few paltry pennies Just taken from the box
at the Literary and Scientific Institute, I am very
much mistaken. I believe the best yield this year was
from the box at the Wilts and Dorset Rank ; but I am
afraid to speak of the crop from the Dorsetshire Bank
in West-street. Commendable sums have in previous
1 years been realised by the box at Messrs. &mson's
I foundry, but the general stagnation of trade may
account for the present ebb in that quarter. No one
should restrain the quality of sympathy with regard to
I this—the noblest of charities—so lat the subscription
boxes increase in number, and give • better account of
themselves in 1882.

It is freely stated, although I will not vouch for its
authenticity, that the name of Joseph Thompson
Stephens, ~ the ex-Mayor of the town, will
shortly be ed to the Commission of the Peace for
the Borough.

Your Liberal readers, Mr. Editor, but especially
those in this district, would be plea to know if •
rumour, that has just reached me Is correct. On dit
that Mr. Ralli, the member for Wallingford, has pre-
sented a handsome dmmtion In aid of a restoration
fund for Wallingford Church.