TE WAIKATO SANATORIUM.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 955, 24 October 1910, Page 2

TE WAIKATO SANATORIUM.

Sir,—l notice that the subject of "To Waikato.Sanatorium'' has.come up in the House, and I am interested to read tho remarks of members. • . ' Mr. Wilford is credited with' attributing improved. efficiency and results 1 to t-lio administration of tho Inspector-. General. 'This is an extraordinary statement and surprising, coming as it' does, from a. man. like Mr. Wilford. Tho actual "results of ; the now. administration havo. : been very far 1 from an improvement ; ■ in ' fact, I say advisedly quite the reverse. Perhaps never ' in tho hintory of the institution has there been so much tause for ■ dissatisfaction as at .present: for since the new re-, gim© started there, have been .very; few pa,tients treated, and for some time tho place was:only half'full. The In-' •spector-General is also . credited with greatly: reducing the cost of mirintenahce—l would point out that tho grand, great aim of sanatorium is to combat disease.;- Now ; : since' Dr. Valintine took, over the institution, numbers of eases which formerly would have gone to,: Cambridge and been cared for - and happy, but no danger to society, have' been allowed to remain in distressing circumstances where tho.dangers of'infection have been tremendous. It -has been proved that the . most expensive' in such an institution are tho hopeless ones, but surely we are not reduced to such a condition';'of moral degeneracy, as to refuse, these cases because they arc tho most expensive. I am well awaro that the sanatorium in taking . such cases . .was.'departing from its proper.-.function,. but at;.; had;, .-'as things were, to perform tho dual function of chest hospital and sanatorium, arid cases which otherwise, might have, been turned away were received and treated in liojfes of some benefit being derived. ■ The; Minister's- rpferehcei to i the report that the .Government had . inteii- . tions. of closing the institution does; not "carry much weight with me., Knowing .the facts as I liavo sot tlieni out in The Dominion in previous letters,■ I only hope that matters will come to a head quickly, so that the Minister's. : notoriously bad • memory may 1 still re-' tain, some impressions, of .the. diverse, statements he. has i made from' time! to time. ' . Thanking you in anticipation of 1 your kind publication''of - this-' letter,—l am," ' . • WILLIAM TELL. ' . Hamilton, October 17. ;