THE HOSPITAL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3184, 12 September 1881, Page 3

THE HOSPITAL.

[To the Editob of the Daily Telegeapii.l Sib,—The Hospital Committee at their meeting selected out of the twentyapplicants for the post of secretary a Mr Hawker, who is, I believe, a comparative stranger in the place, and as far .as can he ascertained a person without Either position or influence. "Why the Committee should have made this choice is not easy to conjecture, unless it was on account of his possessing an exceptionally mild disposition, and one that would probably never lead him at any time to attempt the "jumping " process. If this should happen to be the reason tbat prompted them in their selection then they are deserving of our sympathy. I am nevertheless astonished that these gentlemen should ever have occupied tie responsible position they hold as guardians of a public trust when they must have felt they were incapacitated through lack of moral courage. Mr Miller admitted that, though the committee consisted chiefly of business men, yet, up to the time of the retirement of the late secretary, they had been prevented from discharging their duties effectively by absolute fear of that over-ruling functionary. No wonder the committee refrained from urging the publication of the accounts, when, from the admissions of both Mr Miller and Mr Winter, we learn they bad been kept in an exceedingly lax manner. And yet the committee were seeminglycontented to allow matters to go on in this unsatisfactory way. And when they were reminded that the alleged mismanagement was due to their neglect in not looking closer after the interests of the Hospital, Mr Winter -w took upon himself the honor of becoming \ the champion of their cause, and then tried to lead the public into belief that the accounts were correct and in every way satisfactory. By his own words they were certainly < audited often enough, but the admissions made by him in the Committee meeting entirely contradicted what he bad previously written when trying to refute my former statements. I not a little surprised when I saw the report of the visiting committee had been adopted, for I was laboring under the delusion tbat the parent committee would see the absurdity ef reducing the staff in such an alarming manner. It is to be hoped, however, / that it will not be carried out to the letter, for if it is it will probably be the means of withdrawing the confidence and support of many who would otherwise be willing to subscribe. The making of both ends meet does not depend so much on the reduction of the staff as on the economy necessary to be practised in the internal administration, as well as on keeping the miscellaneous expenses within reasonable limits. The retirement of the late secretary has removed the one great obstacle that has of late retarded the prosperity of the Hospital. There is therefore no reaeon to fear with the sl*ght alteration in the present staff I mentioned in my kst letter, and with an energetic secretary and a committee thoroughly alive to ts)e position they occupy, that the Hospital would ever be lacking tbe support that ia needed to keep it in a prosperous state. —I am, &c, Vebax. S~~ Napier, September 12, 1881.