Cromwell Argus. AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell : Tuesday, February 17, 1874.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 223, 17 February 1874, Page 4

Cromwell Argus. AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell : Tuesday, February 17, 1874.

Thk result of the Dunstan Hospital election on Saturday last, when Dr Thomson was elected by a majority of twenty-six votes over his opponent, Dr Stirling, must not he taken by people at a distance as an expression on the part of the subsen hers of their opinion of the medical abilities of the one doctor as compared with those of the other. It will not be so taken by those who took an active part in the election itself, as they are quite aware that the issue was decided on quite different "rounds. There can lie very little doubt that the unfortunately hostile attitude with respect to the Committee into which ! 'r Stiri.ing partly drifted and was partly forced, had a great influence upon the re--suit of the contest; .and the injudicious and blustering conduct of some of his warmest supporters, put the result beyond the shadow of a. doubt. Now that the election is over, however, it would not do much good to pursue the subject too far, although at the same time it would, do much harm to pretend by utter silence that the causes that led up to the result were utterly unknown. ■

The Hospital Committee will forsoma time to colno hj ive a very difficult duty, to perform. They are,- however,’ in a sound tin uiciul-'position, we believe, and that will be u great help to them in carrying through. Notwithstanding the good name which Di- Thomson has earned f6r ; hiihself as a medical man in thisv district, the members of the Committee eakinot but re*; member that he is succeeding a gehtlbm.au who hears an equally high character as a professional man. They-will .also romem* her that one of the things for; which their late surgeon received great praise was the fact thatihe was always to be found when wanted," 3 and they will doubtless make if - their duty to see- that his successor .is equally attentive to his duties. We have , —every one has, we believe,—a high opinion of his medical and surgical skill, 1 but it remains yet for him to prove that he possesses the same stay-at-home qualities that distinguished his predecessor. Without these qualities,, he. will certainly fail’, in making his government of the' Hospital a success. '■< ; v ’ ■ K.-pbwwfb

While speaking of ITospital.matter»s, .w© , may also Call the attention briefly of tjie, j Committee;to two- or three tlnngs.tytiiiclsi, certainly want rectifying.'’ .iEiTst- Jibed, fas-'’; to the mode of conducting elections, ltdasuch a manifest pi6cd'of-mi)-jhr;st , ice : t6 ! fpry© the subscribers .td--gaHietf; ’’ election, when separate, spoiling-placed ‘ could be established in other portions-of the district, that surely it only requires to - be mentioned to be rectified. 'J he Clyde people have so often before now been, blamed by ns for straining every effort to centralise-..every thing in their ;o wn " place, that we shall look with some curi-' josity to see whether they ,will take any steps to alter the order of things. If. not done soon, we shall take an early opportunity of advising the subscribers to do it themselves ; for, if forgotten now, it'wi’l certainly be forgot till the excitement of another election renews the subject.— Some step should also be taken by the Committee to-.improve the method of collecting subscriptions, and to re-arrange the terms upon which persons should be em titled to rank as subscribers, it is • well,, enough known that hundreds of-people never subscribe in ordinary times who are perfectly able to do so. The willing horsesi V to use a .expressioii, ape thus,oyer-, loaded. ' Tlipl,,burden presses on a feW whielrshould be spread over.'the multitude, and which, if thus distributed would never be felt us a burden at all. Again’ as the case ■ stands at present, any man. who pays a pound a month, before an election can secure a vote, That is not a common sense manne'f of deciding a man’s right to vote. An election may happen (say,; by way of ‘ illustration,) this time five years. Some people may be regular subscribers of a pound or two pounds per annum, for each and every one of the intervening five years, and of course will be entitled to one vote. An equal number of persons who only subscribe one pound a month before the election comes off, will have equally the same right and the same weight as those who aie annual and faithful supportersof the institution. Look, also, at the door which stands wide open to corruption and bribery, when an election comes round. A rich but unscrupulous candidate could almost make certain of carrying the election any way he pleased by the judicious expenditure of about twenty pounds. Some alteration might certainly be made to advuntage.