THE HOSPITAL.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 160, 29 March 1872, Page 5

THE HOSPITAL.

(To the Editor of the Mount Ida Chronicle.); Sib, —My head race was dry and so was my tail race. I got tired of doing nothing, and felt that a walk would do me good. I had no definite idea where I was going, but thinking of water, I suppose, led me towards the source of the same, and before I well knew it I was climbing up the face of Mount Ida. I was out ol breath and perspiring freely, so, about half-way up, I-' sat idown. I did not light a fire to sho*r my admiring friends in the township how far I had got, fbi* up one knew I was there and therefore could not be expected to use there,glasses or eyes, as the case might be, to .find out my whereabouts. Well,. I; sat for some time, taking in a view- of the purrounding country —the Hamilton township, the Sowburn, the Rock.and Pillar Ranges, the Hough Ridge, Mount St. Bathans; in fact, tbe Maniototo Plains, and the ranges com-pfetely-«urrouudkig them.':" It was a grands sight, although no trees were to be seem :All was bare and of a yellowish-brown tinge, with here and there a green patch where some pioneer in the farming line had made his little home. Everything looked peaceful, and I was fast.getting into a dreamy mood when my eye chanced to fell on the township of £laseby. All at once the scene changed, and I. remembered that in that little hive there existed the usual jealousies, heart-burnings, aspir rations, ambitions, repinings, &d, &c, ami the little troubles and pleasures that exist wherever the human family do congregate. I am going to give you . (in one of the topics that is, for the timebeing the talk of our little, township. If you make it public, it will only shaVe the fate of most secrets when entrusted to the bosom of some confiding friend. But; when sitting on the hill, I just conned over the aftairs of Naseby, and I think I am in a position to give a fair resume of some of them.

The first topic of the day is the Hospital, i'or which, of course, there must be a Committee—nothing can be "done without one, unless, perhaps, the School—but of that again. The doings of the Hospital Committee, . it being a public body, the public have had a few words to say about them, and that, as usual, not in their favor. In the first place the site, was bad, the building a shell, the furnishing a sham, and the Committee a lot of incapables. Just fancy the men who deserve so well of the public being so vilified. They have undertaken to erect a"building to cost some three or four hundred pounds out of a capital in hand of over £9OO. The public accuse the Committee of something like jobbery in the furnishing and victualling of the Hospital; but how that could be I cannot say. Tenders were called for in rather a strange manner, I believe, ■seeing that bedding, * ironmongery, beef, bread, groceries, crockeryware, &c, &c, were all included; but then I do not see why that makes any. difference, seeing that everyone deals m every other man's trade, and so is supposed to hav« a knowledge of the. prices, &c, of everything. One. trifling mistake, however, I think the Committee did make, and that was, that from the time the tenders were called only twelve • hours were, I believe, allowed for intending tenderers to see specifications audnmke up tenders. However,-1 hear- that the. Committee, with a praiseworthy regard to the .<■ saving of trouble 10 intending tenderers, i found out'and made, up a tender a week. ; previous. Of course anyone desirous of

Itnowing how much fcniroj? %. ;iateadwould cost, would uave been \nfoiuied- by the Committee ; but, as no < «e applied aud to save trouble, one of the Committee put in a tender—the only- one,' I believe—and could anyone be foolish enough to think the Committee would not,accept, it. I hear it is an old and liberal firm who has stood the brunt and heat of the day, and, if so, they deserve. any little kindness shown them, and no one should be mean enough to envy them. But there are always some malcontents .-r-t-amj 4tc, : -' ; -.- ; Ei.MBi.BS.