HOSPITAL ENDOWMENTS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 527, 24 May 1872, Page 2

HOSPITAL ENDOWMENTS.

(communicated.) Four thousand acres of land are granted to the Oamaru Hospital asan endowment, half of which is situate .in Marawhenna and half in Kauroo. Close to the sea-hoard and within easy access of Oamaru itself, contiguous to a settled population, the endowment cannot fail being of a valuable Character, and worthy of the institution that in future it will help to maintain. Wise as such an endowment undoubtedly is; and well-selected as the land may be, it is worthy of remark that such an address, praying for the reservation of this lattd was not adopted without some argument and some varied and singular reasons being given for its being witheld, Mr. Reynolds, fin particular, thought : “that, if the motion w'ero adopted, the Council would receive applications from all similar quarters throughout the province. . Mr. Held was not sure if it would not be well to aid hospitals in the manner proposed if they adopted the system of giving only such laud as was purely pastoral and not required for settlement. With all due deference to Mr. Reynolds, we fail to see why “all similar quarters” maintaining district hospitals should not be put on a similar tooting to Oamaru. Neither can we ignore the fact; or allow it to remain unknown, as far as our hospital ii concerned, we have a better right to a permanent endowment in the shape of landed estate than Oamaru itself. Our population [is of a less settled character, the means of gaining a livelihood by our working men is more dangerous, the incentives to disease more abundant, the sources from which subscript! ns can be obtained fewer in number, while the expenses of maintaining such an institution arc greater in a mining and up-country district, than in one where provisions are cheap, the inhabitants engaged in agricultural pursuits, and contiguous to a port of entry. In a settled district, where the men are employed the year through in tilling the soil, probab’e hopes may be entertained that any relief afforded to the sufferer from accident or disease may at soma futnio time be paid for, either in the shape of a certain weekly charge made for board and attendance Or a liberal quarterly or yearly donations. With up-country hospitals the case is different. A traveller falls sick somewhere.gn the district, perchance without means. Some one, having a ticket to spare, gives the sick j man a right of entry to the district institution ; he dies, or recovers—and in eight cases out of ten continue* his journey without any benefit, accruing to the Hospital, save the satisfaction of its supporters knowing they have done their duty. It is often considered a homo ami winter refuge for the improvident swagsmau, and a sanitarium foi those who bring themselves close to the gates of Hades by copious libations of diluted kerosene and similar invigorating beverages. Tiros.: who have the bestowal of Hospital tickets know the truth of'these statements', an I can, from experience, vouch how often they are cdled on when all their tickets are expended to go round on a few fi lends for subscriptions of five or ten shillings each, to make up the requisite amount towards the funds of the Institution, to enable them to obtain another ticket to entitle some deserving sick man to x-eceive that aid the dictates oi common brotherhood cannot refuse to afford. There is no time like the pn sent for any legitimate business. There is no time so opportune as the present for settling this question of Hospital endowment, and as Oamaru has led the van, there is no reason why other institutions should not follow in her wake. It is impossible to forotel what constitutional changes may take place during the next meeting of the General Assembly, when, a check may bo put on Provinces alienating land for any purpose whatever, and if in any case it is unwise to practise procrastination, it would seem to be doubly so in this particular instance. It is idle to expect that monetary grants will be given to Hospitals for any protracted period—doubtful even whether the money now promised will ever be paid—and high time that they should he placed on a permanent footing, and relieved from the uneeitainty attaching to what aid will be afforded them by such eccentric bodies as Provincial Councils. A word or twm on Mr. Hold’s suggestion that land only fitted for pastoral purposes, should be given fur such purposes. If Commonages were meant to bo included in this category, no one wo presume would make any objection, but, if by pastoral land is meant blocks on Mt. Pisa, or some where else close to the snow lino, we fail to recognise any value in the bequest. Land fit for settlement has been reserved for other purposes, and that in large quantities —purposes not as legitimate as providing for the comfort and restoration to heath of the indigent sick. We trust the Member for the Deinstall w ill take these views into emsideration, and gain by bis “oft asking” a grant similar to that bestowed on Oamaru, for our own District Hospital. «