Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 19 July 1929
Darfield Hospital Sunday.
A Fine Parade.
The annual Hospital Sunday demonstration was held at Darfield last Sunday and was favoured by ideal weather.
The morning parade assembled in the Millhouses Recreation Ground, and the collection en route amounted to £2 19s 2d. In the afternoon the procession, which was witnessed by large crowds, was marshalled in Stoneyford Road, and marched to the Darfield cricket field. Practically every phase of village life was represented.
A platform had been erected in the cricket field for the choir and speakers, and here a big crowd of people were assembled. Mr.G. H. Hirst. M.P. presided.
Mr. G. H. Hirst said it was not easy to ask them to increase subscriptions when one realised the unemployment in the district. but people should realise that even a halfpenny counted. The income of the Beckett Hospital for last year was £14,000, and of this about £4,500 had been sent by the collieries, or about a third of the total. A great many accidents happened at the collieries where seven lives were lost every two days. The hospitals were getting into debt and it would probably be necessary for the State to step in. All knew how much better the voluntary system really was, and what a lot of filling in of forms and delays there would be with anything connected with the nationalisation of hospitals, but that was the only alternative if people did not give more generously. The colliery workers were doing their bit.
Mr. T. Wass especially commended the Beckett Hospital to the support of the district.
Mr. T. Butler (secretary of the Saturday and Sunday Hospital Movement. Barnsley), also spoke on behalf of the Beckett Hospital. There were, he said. 128 bests in the Beckett Hospital, 2,196 in-patients last year costing an average of £6 11s 2d each, and 8,570 out-patients, who averaged 3s. 9d each. Last year the income was £14,908. The expenditure was £18,112, but this included extraordinary expenses—a portable X-ray apparatus etc. He said they would like all shopkeepers to subscribe a penny in the £ as the collieries did
A vote of thanks was proposed by Councillor T. W. Illsley, and seconded by Mr. T. Worth.
Mr, J. W Page conducted the singing, and Miss H. Page was the pianist.
During the afternoon a selection was played by the Houghton Main Prize band.
On Sunday evening at Low Valley a concert was given by the Houghton Main band, Mr. A. Horbury Presiding.