"OUTRAGEOUS BUMBLEDOM."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1746, 10 May 1913, Page 4

"OUTRAGEOUS BUMBLEDOM."

The treatment of the unfortunate man Barry by the Christchurch Hospital authorities has been very fittingly summed up as a case of "Outrageous Bumbledom." An- Outline of the facts of the matter was set out in a telegram published in yesterday's issue. Barry, a fireman employed on the steamer Maori, was discharged from the vessel at Lyttelton, as he was suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis in an advanced and dangerous stage. _ Tho shipping company, it seems, did everything possible for the unfortunate man, entering into a bond, on paying him off, guaranteeing him payment of three months' wages and also full hospital and board fees for that period. Moreover, Dr. J. A. Newall, who was acting in the case, arranged by telephoning from the shipping company's office at Lyttelton, for Barry to be admitted to the Christchurch Hospital, and*,provided with a bed. It seems, however, that when Barry presented himself the same day at the hospital he was informed that the doctor was out, and after a long wait—from IS until 5.30 p.m.—he was told by the ,hospital porter to go to tho Charitable Aid Board. Naturally, he _ was astounded and distressed at this reception. He did not want charitable aid, but hospital treatment, and nothing else being left for him to do, ho returned to Lyt'telton. There his ill-luck followed him. He was unablo to secure lodgings, and had to wander about the wharves of the port in wet and bitterly cold weather all night. This man, it must not bo forgotten, was suffering from consumption in an advanced and dangerous stage. _ Tho Ohristchurch Frcss, from which we have gathered the above facts, states that much indignation is expressed at the action or inaction of the hospital authorities in debarring tho man from ordinary humane treatment. Wo should think so. But the offending of the hospital authorities is aggravated by the excuse put forward for their refusal to admit Barry to the hospital. It seems that Barry was signed on to the Maori at Wellington, and Wellington was therefore technically his home port. The hospital authorities decided that bccause Barry belonged to Wellington the doors of the Christchurch Hospital should bo closed to him, and that the proper' thing was to send him, ill as he was, to Wellington. "It was felt," said one of the officers of the Christchurch institution, "that as the man belonged to Wellington, and was able to travel, it was not a proper thing to take hiin in a,t Christchurch Hospital, when it might mean the shutting out of a North Canterbury patient." A Wellington resident, dangerously ill in an advanced stage of consumption, sent to the hospital on urgent medical advice, apparently can lay no claim to the sympathy or even the plain humanity of the Christchurch Hospital authorities. So long as he is able to travel at all he must be shunted off to Wellington, for fear that his presence in the Christchurch institution might mean tho shutting out of a Canterbury patient. Such an attitude, wo are confident, will meet with quite as much resentment from the people of Canterbury as it will from those of Wellington, and every other community which has any regard at all for the common dictates of humanity.