LAWRENCE.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 8, 27 August 1874, Page 5

LAWRENCE.

v — — — (From our own Correspondent.) Great dissatisfaction has been expressed by the subscribers to that really excellent institution, the Tuapeka Goldfields Hospital, at the excessive amount expended on " rhedical comforts" (alias gin, whiskyj brandy, wine, porter, and ale),' during the six months ending June last. The credit of having brought to light the loose manher in which the stores belouging to tbe institution were disposed ot is due to the gentlemen composing the present Visiting Committee, viz., Messrs Squires, Fraer; &c,; and they have well earned the thanks of all who have the welfare of that noble institution at heart. From the Visiting Committee's report it appears that every patient in the hospital, man; woman, and child, has been receiving at tbe rate of seven and a half glasses of alcoholic 1 "drinks; per diem, which,, when the quality of the drink is taken into consideration, is eqjjsl to about fourteen nobblers per diem. ireTthere are no doubVa certain number of patients always in the hospital, to whom it would be injurious, or, at any rate, unnecessary, to administer alcdhol in any shape or form whatever, the favored few who were actually in receipt of the "prescription," must have had good times of it. " Its a glorious institution, is the Tuapeka Hospital," says an old stager, recently a patient in the Hospital, to me the other day, in quite a patronising tone, the rubicund hue ,'of whose proboscis and bleard, blinking eyes were suggestive oi the feeling couplet— '-' urany a wink lie wunk, And many a drink he drank. "*■ . "Yes," he continued, "its a glorious institution. I've been all round these parts, and I've never eeen anything to beat it. If a fellow gets fly-blown, or is thrown on his beam- ends, he can turn in to that 'ere place (pointing to the hospital) and make himself comfortable as long as be has a .mind to. If I had a thousand pounds tomorrow, I'd pive every sixpence of it to that hospital." The average number of patients in the" hospital for the six months were sixteen, and yet it cost as much to keep these sixteen patients in alcoholic liquors as it did to keep the 142 patients in the Dunedin Hospital, Comparisons are odious, but to the subscribers in this instance it is a most odious comparison. The Rpsident Surgeon paid in explanation that the patients during that time were suffering from diseases that had to be treated with a "liberal " diet. I don't believe in robbing a poor man of his beer — so long as he pays for it, but when he is dependant upon charity for the supply of that commodity, | I think he should use.it very sparingly. The fact has also been brought to tight that it has cost as much to supply tbe- Tuapeka Hospital with medicine as it does to supply the Dunedin Hospital, Gaol, and Lunatic Asylum, and it is reported that the cost of provisioning the hospital has lately costr far too much. However, the recent agitation will do good, and make the hospital officials more economical in their management. "In prosperity remember tbe poor," is tbe motto of the institution, but it is of no use " remembering the poor" iLile^ the money is put into the hands of gentleman who see that it is properly and economically expended. A Lodge of Good Templars was" opened at Waitahuna on Friday last, by officers from the Lawrence and Blue Spur Lodges. It is only about nine or ten -month* pince the LawrencejfLbdge was opened, with six|een members to start with, and it now numbers nearly 100. members. About two months ago a Lodge was 'opened at the Blue Spur, and it has now a membership of about 40. Those of the community who do, hot believe' in .such extremes, 'neverthe*. less wish the movement every success, as there is no doubt a great amount of good has been done by it. : , Some idea of the severity of the win* er which we have experienced here may ■ be had from the fact that, after a stoppage of seven, weeks.-the masons commenced work ou Monday last on the Town Hall and Court HouSe. :. Weathef permitting the" contractors confidently anticipate, being able to finish the respective contracts by the end of the year; -