The Proposed Hospital Scheme for Denaby

Further Meeting of the Workmen

Mr Chambers and the Mexboro’ Institution

A general meeting of the workmen employed at the Denaby and Cadeby Main Collieries, in support of the proposed hospital scheme for Denaby, was held in the Infant Schoolroom, Rossington Street, on Monday evening. There was only a poor attendance. Mr. William Gibbons, the chairman of the committee, presided, and he was supported by Mr. S. Kynaston, vice-chairman; Mr. Leebetter, secretary; Mr. H. S. Witty, treasurer; Mr. Smethurst, architect; Mr. W. H. Chambers, managing director of the colliery and one of the trustees; and a few others, including Councillor T. Casey, of Mexboro’.

The chairman, in giving a report of the committee, said they had tried to put the scheme on a fair basis. One of their rules read as follows:—“This institution shall be held in trust for the employees of the Denaby and Cadeby Main Collieries, and shall be governed by a general committee who shall be elected at your annual general meeting.” What the chairman asked was whether there could be a fairer or a better basis. In his opinion they could not get a better one. They had chosen the trustees first. Among them were the managing director of the collieries, the vicar of Denaby, the Rev. J. Brookes, and others, including Mr. John Marriott, of Denaby, and Mr. Joseph Cooper, of Cadeby.

As to the name of the hospital, they had decided to call it the “Fullerton Hospital.” On the question of the site, they had written to two gentlemen with regard to it. One had hardly replied, whilst the other had written a very encouraging letter, stating that he was willing to give a piece of land for such a noble object, and was quite willing to help them as far as lay in his power. Some difficulty was experienced with regard to the conveyance of the land, but he believed it had now been removed, and the matter was in the hands of the solicitors, and was being transferred to the employees of the Denaby and Cadeby collieries. With regard to the site, they would not have any roads to make, and only the connections with the water, gas, and sewerage mains.

The chairman, referring to the committee, said many meetings had been held since the general meeting, but no final agreement had taken place. Of course, there had been differences of opinion, but they had agreed to differ. They had forwarded to the Mexboro’ institution a most generous subscription. They were only infants yet; they had only existed some three months, and could not expect to be full-grown. Altogether they had sent to the Mexboro’ Hospital on last year’s account £70, and, in his opinion, he thought that was a most generous action on the part of his committee. They had gone further than that, however, and requested the Mexboro’ Committee to supply them with the basis of daily and weekly expenses per patient in their institution, whereby the committee at Denaby might at once know the exact financial responsibility. They had also made subscriptions to Doncaster, Leeds, and Nottingham, in addition to one convalescent home. When completed, their institution would be most modern and up-to-date in every respect. It remained with them, as a body of the workmen employed at the collieries, to see that everything was carried out in accordance with their wishes.

Mr. Witty, the treasurer, presented a report of the moneys they had received, and the expenditure they had incurred since the inauguration. Several levies had been made on the collieries. On the 2nd November, £22 11s. 11d.; 11th November, £33 6s. 11d.; 13th November, £23 3s. 8d.; 14th December, £33 13s. 8d.; 28th December, £38 12s. 2d. The expenditure included £20 to the Mexboro’ Hospital, which made £70. Since the 31st December, one collection had been made which resulted in £21 14s. 1d. They had a balance in hand of £131 10s. 10d. He calculated that their average yearly income would be about £600.

The secretary, Mr. Leebetter, then read out all the rules framed by the committee.

The vice-chairman, Mr. S. Kynaston, also spoke on the question. He was sorry there were not more persons present. There were many rumours going about the town—one that the hospital would shortly become the property of the firm. In the first place, it could not, because it was held in trust for them. He knew how the rumours got about; it was because they did not attend the meetings and listen to what was said. With regard to the Mexboro’ Hospital, it was general knowledge that because they were going to have a hospital at Denaby they were going to give Mexboro’ the cold shoulder. Such was not the case, however. A number of people who were employed at Denaby and Cadeby resided in Mexboro’. It was their intention to help Mexboro’ all they could.

The chairman also referred to the many rumours going about, and said that Mr. Chambers had no more control than anyone else. When the scheme was first proposed to Mr. Chambers he promised them his support. He (Mr. Chambers) had been thinking about providing a hospital, but his idea was to have a cottage and fit it up.

Mr. W. H. Chambers, referring to the rumour referred to, said that the colliery company could not touch the hospital; it was held in trust by trustees appointed by the men. Among the trustees appointed were the managing director of the colliery and the vicar, two persons who never did die (laughter). It would not make much difference, because after the hospital was erected, they would have very little to do. As to the hospital being acquired by the colliery company, what on earth would they do with it if they got it? (Laughter.) As to the position of the site, he might say, they would have no roads to make, and only the gas, water, and sewerage connections to make. The conveying of the lands to them from Mr. Fullerton was now in the hands of the solicitors.

As to the meetings, he attended as many meetings as he could, and hearing the tales told over that evening, one struck him as being very peculiar. It referred to persons being supplied with medicine if they attended the hospital. He did not think that would be wise to open a dispensary in connection with the hospital. He hoped that the committee would keep a very sharp eye upon the expenditure, or else they would be burdened with a very “white elephant.” He did not think that was the intention of the committee. He was as much interested as anyone else in the project, and he had nothing to do with the carrying out of the resolutions any more than anyone else, but the committee might stretch the elasticity given them almost to breaking point. He hoped they would give an explanation of the rules. What they required was an up-to-date institution—an institution that was simply meant to accommodate the accidents that frequently occurred in their midst. Also to make the provision for those that were likely to incur injuries in any ordinary way. He was sure everyone of them would desire to have conveniences about the hospital that would alleviate and benefit those who were unfortunate enough to become inmates. Although they might look forward, and say to themselves that they had plenty of money amongst them, and it was no use bothering about expense, still he advised them not to waste money simply because they had plenty. They wanted to erect a suitable institution for the parish; not to go in for building a grand or more extensive erection than Mexboro’. “If the Mexboro’ people,” said Mr. Chambers, “wanted an institution, a larger institution, for the gratification of vanity, then by all means let them have it.” Continuing, Mr. Chambers advised them to build a hospital suitable for the parish and large enough to meet the requirements, and not to go in for having a better and more expensive one than Mexboro’, they did not want to do that. If they did that they would be making a mistake. They would be doing away with the very object that those existing hospitals were intended to meet. He did not desire in any way to curtail the least control over the proposed institution; he had plenty to do without running a hospital. It was right that the men should have the management of it. (Applause.)

After the letter from Mr. Fullerton, couched in very encouraging terms, had been read, Mr. Smethurst, the architect, produced a sketch plan of the hospital he had drawn up.

Dr. Twigg also reported as to the number of patients admitted into the Mexboro’ hospital from the 1st of November, 1903, to the present time. He also pointed out the necessity of erecting an up-to-date institution. As to the rule referred to by Mr. Chambers, he did not know how the word medicine had crept in. It was understood to mean that persons who had sustained a nasty cut or sprain, which did not necessitate their detention in the hospital, could come up to the hospital for liniment, etc. It was not intended to transform their hospital into a surgery.

Dr. Craik also spoke. The rules were discussed at length, Mr. Chambers joining the points as to whether it was wise to allow the matron to have absolute control.

Mr. Casey referred to the trouble experienced at Mexboro’ owing to the matron being possessed of too much power.

Dr. Twigg, in referring to the Mexboro’ Hospital, said the whole trouble was owing to the matron not having sufficient control. A great deal of time was taken up in discussing the alteration.