THE FEVER HOSPITAL.

Evening Star, Issue 4022, 17 January 1876, Page 2

THE FEVER HOSPITAL.

This morning a deputation, consisting of the Mayor, Councillors Carapbel', Isaac, and Biown, and I*r Gillies {City Health Officer), waited upon the Superintendeut in reference to the above.

The Mayor explained that the deputation came in conformity with a promise he had made to the deputation of citizens who had waited upon him and presented a petition conH truction of the fever hospital on the Town Belt. Of course, his Houor was aware of the nature of that petition, as his signature headed it. Without attempting in any way to raise the question whether or not the Council possessed the strict legal right to do so, he (the Mayor) pointed-out that it was a case of emergency that caused the Council to erect Jhe hospital on the Belt, because for a n e the.Council had recognised that the Belt must be preserved intact for recreation purposes ; and to that end were spending a good deal of money on it. He regretted the petitioners had not objected when the matter was first mooted. The deputation from the Council wished to ascertain it the Government would undertake to havo the Fever Hospital removed, and after removal to assume tit reap mobility of the establishment. His Honor remarked that so far as his name appearing at the top of the petition was concerned, his w.is the last signature. He signed it not because he saw any objection to the Hospital being placed on the Belt, which was probably the best place for it, but purely on the principle that the Belt ought not to be encroached upon without legal enactment for that purpose Q hey did not know whether Ic might stop if once begun. As to removing it, be did not know what to say. In the first place, a site would have to be fixed upon, and then there would be the question of expense. On the site of the existing Hospital therefore fire acres; but he did not whether there Would be any object ion to that locality. Cr Campbell pointed out that that neighborhood was thickly populated, principally by the working classes. The. Mayor also pointed ont that the site was unsuitable. Most of the people signing the petition wore interested. -

His Honor ; The petition was very generally signed. Cr. Campbell remarked that his Honor heading the signatures looked as though he was one of the promoters. His Honor : I signed it merely on public grounds. I think the Fever Hospital could be put upon equally good sites, to which the same objection would not apply. The Mayor explained that the Sanitary Committee of the Council first thought of leasing an eleven-roomed house that was to let and converting it into a- Fever Hospital, but their Health ' ffieer objected to anything of the kind. • he Council were forced into it or allowing the people to die. Dr Gillies said the building could not be rumoved just now; it was actually required. There was some cases at present iu houses of only one room, and it was absolutely n- ctssary for the public safety that those cases should be removed, whether the persons were willing or not. _ Drs Hulrae and Burns and himself were of opinion that the present hospital site would be unsuitable, and to place the fever hospital there would cause, and properly cause, great consternation among the people on the flat. His Honor mentioned as suitable sites thirty acres of land the Government had at Vauxhall, about half a mile from Anderson’s nay, or some Government land at Look-out Point ; but The Mayor thought they would not suit on account of the distance.

It was incidentally stated that the Fever Hospital, which was not a temporary building, cost about LI,OOO, and it would take a third of that sum to remove it.

His Honor said the Government might find another site, but he did not think they would either bear the cost of removal or take charge of it. That rested more with the Council as the Local Board than with the Government. He mentioned that he had written to all the suburban road boards and municipalities, urging them to take more active steps _ iu out their functions, and pointing to the City Council as an example of what local bodies should do.

As the deputation was leaving, His Honor said he did not mean to apply to the Su -’remo Court; but he supposed it was competent for any one to do so. The Be t could not be too carefully guarded from encroachment.