THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1867.

Grey River Argus, Volume IV, Issue 270, 5 October 1867, Page 2

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1867.

The appointpient pf a Secretary for the Gold Fields has so far not been productive Qf any advantage to this district. A striking pvopf of how difficult it is when once the machinery of Govern r ment has got into a gropve to get it out, is afforded by the affairs of the Grey lliver Hospital. . It is no news to our readers tq be told that for many months past the Hospital Committee and the Canterbury Government have been at variance through the neglect of the latter tp pay its stipulated quota of the expenses of the Institution. A few months ago the Committee felt so sick and tired of the constant " humbugging" — to use a vulgarism — of the Government that they came to the decision of resigning their trust, it being impossible for them to carry it out satisfactorily either to themselves or the public so long as they had so many harrassing difficulties and annoyances thrown in their way by the Government. Explanations without end have be<m asked by the Canterbury Government, and at the cost of great pains and trouble they have been afforded by the Committee. A mass of correspondence has been rendered necessary to enlighten the obtuse faculties of the Government aa to its obvious duty, kit the result has been that it is impossible to instil p/en common sense into the minds of fhose who have chaige of' the administration of affairs. When the Committee informed the Government of their decision to resign, a proposal was made to place the management of the Institution in the hands of Mr Commissioner Kyimersley and Mr Revell, R.M., as representatives of the respective Governments of Nelson and Canterbury, and Mr Kissling as the representative of the Committee. This proposal was understood to be accompanied with an agreement on the part of the Canter bury Government to pay one,half the expenses of the Hospital. The statistics of the Hospital showed that the number of patients from each province was on the average about equal. Whilst agreeing on behalf of the Nelson Govern ment to the proposed division of the expenses, Mr Commissioner Kynnersley objected to the management being taken out of the hands of a Committee chosen by the public, and we believe that afterwards the Canterbury Government agreed to allow the management to.remain as it was. On this understanding the Committee consented to "continue to act, believing that at last they had . arrived at a proper understanding as to the supply of funds. But it,was ex_ pecting too miich of the Canterbury Government to hope that even in a small simple matter of this kind it could act in a straightforward commonsense manner. Again has that model Government turned round and interposed obstacles iv the way of the Committee by declining to pay its share of the expenses, and demanding all sorts of returns and explanations, which the Committee very rightly are tired of giving, and decline to furnish again. The Canterbury Governmentall throughout this very miserable business hr.s treated the Committee as if its members were the servants of the Government," and as such open to be bullied or trifled with as it suited the whim of themoment. It is not to be expected that a number of gentlemen,, who, at the sacrifice of a great amount of time and trouble, give their unremunerated services to the public, will submit to such treatment. For a long time they have borne it patiently for the sake of the welfare of the Hospital, but the time, has at last arrived when neither; considerations for their own dignity, nor for the interests of the Institution, will allow them to remain in office. They have therefore resigued, and the Hospital is now left for thevtwo Governments, of N^elsqn

and Canterbury t<§fcdininister ij;s affairs. Thei-e is not much tp hope from ejther the Render mercies or the administrative capacity of the latter authority,- 'but there is np alternative left. The. CCarn r tjerbury Go.vernni.ent haying so lpnp; been celebrated for mismanagement seems determined to. afford a striking example of " tjje ruling passion strong jn death."