THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1868.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 372, 2 June 1868, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1868.

A public meeting of the inhabitants of Greymouth is convened for to-morrow evening, to take into consideration the new arrangement which according to the recommendation of the County Council is proposed to commence in July next. That arrangement is that instead of the hospitals of Hokitikaand Greymouth beiug maintained solely at the expense of the Government, they are to be dependeut in a groat measure on public contributions, suppliononted by grantg-in-aid in the proportion of two pounds for each pound collected from the public. Tho chief reasons which induced tho Council to adopt this proposal were, tirst, that the central ■Hospital at Hokitika wa-s not sufficiently accessible for the admission ot patieuts generally from all parts of die comity, and, second, that it was desirable to encourage the establishment of district hospitals in the centres of population, It has been admitted that the advantages of the public hospitals have been mainly — indeed almost entirely — enjoyed by the miners, who as a class have not and do not contribute their fair share towards the cost of maintaining those institutions. Whether the proposed ugw system will work remains to be seen, indeed, as we have before remarked, it is doubtful i p the necessary amount of public contributions will be forthcoming. This we fancy arises more from the great difficulty of applying an effective collecting machinery amongst a population so scattered as that of Westland, than from the inability or indisposition of the people to contributeStill it is no less a fact that hitheno there has been no systematic attempt to secure public subscriptions for hospital purposes, and it js an open question whether the new proposal should not at least have a trial. We understand that the opinion of the Hospital Committee of this town is somewhat avei*se to the proposed plan, and that they are inclined rather than undertake the responsibility of management under what they consider to be a doubtful system, to resign their functions. We trust that no such hasty conclusion will be adopted, but that if it be the opinion of the Committee and of the public that the plan proposed is not Jikely to work well, they will make a representation to the County Council, with the view of somo other plan being carried out. We would remind the Committee and the public that although the new plan was recommended by the County Council it has not yet received the authoritative endorsement of the Go- j vernuient. And we are inclined to be-

lieve that the Government may not in this instance follow ii]> the rcconunendu* tiou of the Council, as we notice that tenders have been invited for the supply of necessaries for the Hokitika Hospital for a period beyond that at which the new arrangement would, if sanctioned be commenced, At any rate, the only course which we can sco the Hospital Committee and the public can projierly take, is, that if they consider the plan proposed by the Council to be unlikely of being successfully carried our, to ox, press that opinion, and, pending farther arrangements, tp allow the hospital to be conducted as heretofore, To our minds t]ie proposal of the County Council places the Greymouth hospital in an exceptionally good position as compared with others. If the Nelson Goverumeut agree, as there is no reason for doubting it would agree, to contribute in the same proportion as the County, the public of this districc Wciild only have to contribute one T fifth, instead of one^third ot the whole ijost of the hospital, Thp expense of maintaining the hospital is about .£3OOO per annum, of which sum thp public would iinder the proposed new system have to contribute .£OOO. Six j hundred pounds is certainly a large j aniouut, but for a population of about five thousand should not be an insurmountable sum. It must be borne in mind that this j£GOO need not be eutirely raised by subscription, There are many ways of supplementing the ordinary personal canvas iv the shape of special entertainments, bazjaurs, &c. In Otago, for instance, the country hospitals are maintained on exactly the same system as that proposed by the County Council, aiid really we cannot see why an attempt should not be made to give it a trial Jiere. Undoubtedly there will be some dilliculty at the lirst, but until that trjal has been made it would appear to be absurd to protest against the system.