PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3254, 25 July 1873, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Thursday, July 24. QUESTIONS. The Government, in reply to questions, stated that they would be glad to take into consideration, wherever possible, the desirability of reserving along the main lines of road, at distances of seven miles, blocks of land of from lifty to one hundred acres, for the accommodation of travelling stock, working bullocks, and waggon horses.-The setting apart of a piece of land for Friendly Societies had not been overlooked. —The Superintendent had already had several interviews with the officers cf the various societies with the view of fixing a public site, and the Government hoped, before the session was brought to a close, to be able to submit to the Council a recommendation asking them to concur in a selected site.

THE DUNEDIN HOSPITAL. The Secretary for Lands (Dr Webster) moved— “ That, in the opinion of this Council, steps should be taken towards inducing the public to support the Dunedin Hospital by means of voluntary contributions, in which case the management of the Hospital should be in the hands of a committee to be appointed by the contributors. 2nd. That, in the event of the management of the Hospital being so undertaken, the Provincial Government shall coutriubtc liberally towards its support. _ 3rd, That, pending the Government being relieved of its administration, it is expedient that the system upon which the Hospital has hitherto been conducted should at once be altered, and that the medical staff shall consist of one paid medical officer (who shall reside in the building), and of no less than three others, the whole to be appointed by the Government. 4th, That an address be transmitted to the Superintendent, requesting that the foregoing proposals may, if practicable, be given effect to.” If these resolutions were carried, the Government intended to apply to gentlemen in the City holding similar opinions to themselves, ask them to receive contributions, and to form along with themselves (the Government) a committee of management. The Government did not wish it to be understood that they had any reason to complain of the gentleman at the head of the Institution, cither as regarded|reputation or administration, in any degree, hut it was thought that as the City had reached its present size, some of the prominent medical men should take part in the medical department. They had struck out the words “who shall be honorary” in the third resolution, because they found in all other towns except where there was a medical school or university, from which they received these officers got some small payments for their services.

Mr Stout thought the resolution of 1872, as to the appointment of additional medical officers to the Hospital, should be acted upon. The Dunedin Hospital, being a Provincial and almost a Colonial Institution, should not be placed on the same footing as country Hospitals; and it was hardly fair to ask the citizens to contribute so largely to an establishment which was for the benefit of a Province.

Mr Davie was not disposed to agree to the first and second parts of the resolutions, but the proposal to throw the Hospital open to the Faculty was a step in the right direction. He suggested something like the following should be adopted The medical staff to consist of a paid medical officer, who should reside in the building, and four others, to whom would be handed over the administration not only of the Hospital but of the Lunatic Asylum and Gaol. The work should bo distributed among them, care being taken that one should be responsible for the charge, ftfr say three months, of the particular institution placed under his care. IJIr Oliver complained that the proposition of the Government was deficient indefiniteness. It did not say what proportion of the cost of maintenance would be sustained by the Government, and if the management was to be placed in the hands of the citizens, their hands should not be weakened by being debarred of the power of making appointments or effecting dismissals. The resolutions should be withdrawn for the present. Mr HAC.aiTr thought, on the testimony of the medical men examined before the Commission of 1870, that it would be unwise to interfere with the present management, from whom means for reform should first come; Mr Fish, although agreeing with the spirit of the resolutions, thought they should be withdrawn as being speculative ; Mr M'Glashan was in favor of the first two resolutions, but thought the third should be withdrawn ; Mr Reid also thought the resolutions premature. I)r Mknzies thought the Government, while contributing liberally, should not lose its hold of the Institution. They should see it was thoroughly and efficiently maintained, and then as the public became more alive to their duty in the way of contributing, the Government could gradually retire, and ultimately leave the direction of the domestic affairs in the hands of a committee of management chosen by the subscribers.

Mr M‘Kenzie had heard complaints by patients of the management,, and moved ‘ ‘ That it is expedient that three gentlemen, not practising members ot the medical profession, should be appointed by the Executive to visit the Duneclin Hospital, and generally to supervise the management of the Institution The amendment was negatived by 25 to 11, and on the main question there voted : Noes, 11; Messrs Clark, Davies, Green, Haggitt, Mills (teller), M‘Neil, Oliver, Reid, Roberts (teller), Stout, Tolmie. Ayes, 21: Messrs Allan, Bastings, Brown J. C., Clark, De Lautour, Fish, Hazlett, Ireland, Kinross, Lumsden, Menzies, Mollison (teller), M'Kenzie, M‘Lean, Rogers, Sumpter, Teschemaker (teller), Turton, Turnbull, Webster, Wilson. THE HIGH SCHOOL. Mr Fish moved his resolutions rc the High School. He explained that he was not adverse to high class education, neither had he any intention of attacking the High School or its masters. His first proposition was that thecost of the school was out of all proportion to the benefit derived by the community as a whole. Its cost for the five years ending March 31, 1873, exclusive of interest on cost of the buildings, was L 13,680 5s 8d; and 6 per cent, interest on L 20,000, which sum bad been expended during that period on buildings, would give a total of L 19,680 5s Bd. The total revenue for the same period had been L 5,785 8s 4d, or a net cost of the school to the Province for five years of L 18,891 17s Bd, or an annual cost of L 2.778. The average attendance for those five years was 115, so that each boy, interest on cost of building deducted, cost Ll4 a year. The cost of boys attending district schools was, on tho other hand, only L2 16s I Jd a year. If the General Government did not grant the vast educational reserves made, the Council, at no distant date, would have to levy a direct educational tax, and the people would never consent to pay for such a system as we had at present. The report of the High School Commission showed conclusively that the school was a class institution. His second proposition was that the school was not used for the purpose of imparting a classical education, or for preparing boys for the University. During the four years ending 1872, 104 boys had left the school, but only seven went to the University. Hr Hawthorne’s evidence showed that a considerable number of parents desired their boys should not be taught classics, and also that the larger number of boys at the school ought to be taught in the district schools, and who, in point of fact, had no right to be in the High School at all. His next proposition was —Are the Grammar Schools able to prepare boys for the University as well as the High School, and he thought, if they were properly conducted, they could not only do so well, but at a much less cost than the High School. His fifth proposition was—That if any education beyond what could be obtained at the Grammar Schools was required to prepare for the Uni versity ; such education could he better provided by means of proprietary schools. He contended that the Commission proved : First, that generally the state of things in the High School required amendment {.second, that the standard of the entrance examination was too low ; third, that if the standard were raised without the constitution of the school Doing altered, the effect would be to decrease the number of scholars, and by increasing the cost per head, to increase the total cost of the school ; and fourth, that if the constitution of the school were altered, one*half the school would be a

district school under another name. The House adjourned at 5.30, before the hon. member concluded his remarks.

This afternoon Mr Hapgitt gave notice that he would move that LSOO be placed on the Estimates for support of the Dunedin A themeum. The Provincial ocretary asked the opinion of the House whether it would not be better to pass an appropriation Ordinance No. 1 or to close the session, and allow the remaining business on the Order Paper to stand over to next session. On a division the ayes were 23, noes 15. As there were not two-thirds of the House in favor of the motion, the Speaker declared it negatived. The House then went into Committee, of Supply to consider the Supplementary Estimates. LIOO was voted towards the formation of an oval on the Southern Hecreation Ground, provided a similar amount be subscribed by the public.