The Globe. SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1876.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 658, 29 July 1876, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1876.

Some short time since we commented upon the necessity that existed for the appointment of an officer who should have the supervision of the Lunatic Asylums of the colony. The particular Asylum that showed most conclusively that this was needed was the Auckland one. Fortunately Canterbury has reason to be proud of the manner in which its Asylum is conducted, earning as it has done the favorable opinions of high authorities on the best mode of dealing with the insane. A Parliamentary paper presented to bolh Houses, being the reports of Inspectors throughout the colony, which has just come to hand, reveals a state of things which we confess seems hardly credible. If

nything were wanting to prove that i is high time these institutions were laced under the supervision of the ientral Government, this amply suplies it. From the report of the nspector of the Lunatic Asylum t Auckland, we find that _ he tates the practice there prevailing 0 be to allow of the foul castff garments of the dead and diseased latients to accumulate on the premises luring the year. Of the condition of his fruitful source of contagion, an dea may be formed by quoting his iwn words. He says : —" They are 1 mass of corruption .... it s dangerous even to touch them ' with a pitch-fork and not safe ' perhaps even then." Now when we ;onsider that in this very Asylum the jvercrowding and sanitary arrangenents are so bad as to call forth the comments of the public papers, the sxistence of such an additional element af danger to the health of the patients is something astonishing. But that it should be allowed to go on year after year without any notice being taken of it, is still more so. The Inspector now for the first time mentions it, and not be it remarked until the articles spoken of have become " a mass of " corruption;" that is he must have visited the Asylum day after day knowing that there existed within its walls that which at any time might cause the outbreak of disease and yet no notice is taken of it. We can scarcely wonder that Mr Eeader Wood, the Provincial Secretary, asks the pertinent question why such a state of things was allowed to continue. The answer is certainly unique in its way as an instance of the power of red tape. The reason assigned is " that " a proper account might be given to " the Government of all the garments, " bedding, &c." How this eould be accomplished by keeping a mass of fever-breeding rubbish for twelve months does not appear. It is not surprising to find that after some further correspondence the Superinj tendent removed the Inspector from office. But the fact remains that in an asylum notoriously unfitted for its purpose, and overcrowded to a degree without the commonest sanitary precautions being'adopted, a festering mass of clothes, &c, is kept to spread abroad contagion and perhaps death. With an officer appointed by and responsible to the central Government, one fitted from previous experience to deal with, and organise such establishments no such lamentable state of things could exist. But the fact is that with one or two notable exceptions the provincial authorities have proved themselves quite incompetent to manage the Asylums under their charge. A perusal of the report alluded to, shows this most conclusively. With every desire to make the best of things on the part of the inspectors, it is plainly to be seen that the provincial management has lamentably failed. Unsuitablo sites or buildings, want of proper /T Hisregard to the health arrangement! sanitary met with in the majority of cases. It is time therefore that some change was made in the system. Such a change it seems to us as can only be beneficial in the direction of the General Government taking charge and instituting one uniform plan throughout the colony. By doing ; this, and appointing as head of the department a gentleman of thorough experience, well posted up in the latest mode of treatment, we may hope for the removal of such abuses as we have pointed out. Inspection by this officer, thorough searching and frequent, is a necessity, and power should be given to him to at once remedy any evil coming under his notice. In matters such as this, time is of great importance. _ Disease, from causes such as the existence of infectious articles as at Auckland, may break out at any : moment, and prompt and energetic measures require to be taken. From I a telegram published by us a few days ago, it would appear that an appointment such as we have been advocating has been made, but at present no official announcement of tho fact has appeared. We only hope that such is the case, and that the General Government will at once see the necessity of reform in the present system, so as to prevent any chance of the recurrence of so dangerous a practice as that spoken of. 4> Dueino the last few days a number of valuable dogs have been poisoned in LytteJton, and, from the symptoms, there is little doubt that strychnine has been used. Fiom the various localities in which the dog? have died, the poison must have been scattered over maDy places in the town wi!h a perfect recklessness as to consequences. It is not dogs alone that are likely to suff.r. There are many little cHldren running about in the streets, who would pick up a email piece of poisoned meat and eat it without hesitatiou, and if one did so. the consequence would be instant death Whoever has been guilty of this most reprehensible act, has therefore not only destroyed

many valuable animals, but is also in danger of causing the death of some of bis fellow creatures. It is to be hoped that the police will succeed in discovering the offender, and that the full penalty the law allows will be inflicted.

Last year there were numberless complaints in Lyttelton respecting the Burgess list. It was argued that sufficient publicity had not been given, and that in consequence many ratepayers were disfranchised, though the Act had been strictly complied with. The Council this year advertised and made public in every possible way the fact that the Burgess list was open for inspection and revision at the Borough Council Chambers, and of course one Would have thought that all interested in municipal matters, more epecially the malcontents of last year, would have seized the chance of seeing that all was right. But no I From July Ist the roll has remained there unheeded, not one single ratepayer having asked to see it. As Monday is the last day on which it will be open for inspection, it is to be hoped that those who have doubts will at once satisfy them, and not wait till the specified time is past, and then grumble that they have had no opportunity of ascertaining whether they were on the Burgess Roll or not.