The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1876.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 143, 23 August 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23,

Tnproii (he Hospital input mg of lastSaturday was hy no means largely attended, still if was evident Unit those present were in earnest, and that a warm 1.-eling in favour of the estahiish-- ! in nt of a Hospital in the district existed, j The great diflh'idly appeared to he as to ln>w to set about, it, and how far its conduct and maintenance would Ik? I entrusted to or fail <m the public here. A small p'Tivisioiiiil committee was appoint.eo. lo.km ake -necessary enquiries and gather all .require,) inform a lion, ju. ( order to lay I’d? ’same, together with some sort of scheme for carrying out the proposal; he fort! the -public, at an ’early date. These, arc,.us we understand,, tins duties of (he gentlemen appointed, and ; we'trust that they will allow as little time as possible Id elapse helore inrliishing their report, on nhicli, it approved:of, steps' can’ I>6 at onto Taken i to carry out the objects in view. The resolution for tin: appointment of the . ejominittte waki fortunately ah '‘clastic. ; f>ne, and permitted those nanuul.lto...snp- ' plenient their nnmh.em,; This is most i necessary, for not only in a ease of this j kind is there wisdom , in u multitude -of ! counsellors, hut the aim. should bo to.; enlist as many as possible in, The cause* >, aiidCompel them to take tin interest hy giving them a leading .position in the ; movement. A committee of three is,out,; of the question, even though its duties hb of tiie most tentative and preliminary ' kind, and it will no .'doubt ho-largely ; increased. It is snmewlnit strange. Unit’. : so little is hnbwn' hereabouts as to the

genera] management of (hospitals thrdighbut the colonies, 1 ami the misconceptions that- exist' dab only bo accounted : for 'by tlrt?■ fact tliat ; hitherto nh instifcntions ' of 1 the -kind : have • -boeli known here, and that the Provincial authorities.have, so far, taken charge of the destitute -sick in tins part-of the

Colony. ' This lias engendered'' ii 'kind ofi impression that the care would last lev ever"; •■whereas, in Tall probability;. finalow weeks more the moribund Provincial'-' ■institutions,' will ..utterly givg/ np-jtho ghost, and there will be no appeal to other ’fcban the General Government or the -.County Councils, to whose charge,. under the proposed Bill, hospitals and * their inmates are to be handed over. 'Whether these responsibilities will be shifted before the measure has run the gauntlet of committee,- is ’rend a third time, ’and passes through' the- Upper; House, remains to he, seen,; but, be tliat as it may, 1 the ‘Provincial niilcli' cow' is well high dry,; ,aaul it. is, imperative on : people to help themselves. .With regard to niafiagem’dnt,' ins a nilo the local hospital committee of each placets abso--htte, ami has:,fid! controhof till)connected with hospital administration. These have' hitherto—-in’ ' [daces where local hospitals ai;e—been subsidised by the various Provincial Councils, and will in future be Aided ‘in' the same’ way -l)y ' County OouKcils, we presume. The subsidy given is not nearly sufficient.for; the hospital’s maintenance generally, but the deficiency is made up by private .■subscriptions and : donations, by benefits given by amateur and professional companies, by bazaars and other “ pious swindles” of one kind or other, and well avo never yet known a hospital in debt, unless through the impceuuiosity ; of Councils, aimconsequent delay in pay_incut of grants by them. There .is one ■ meirtVab hj eoinniiftee, dvhicb holds 1 pH-iddicalin.eetiugS—weeldy, fortnightly, inoiitlily, or at such times as the circumstances require. In addition to this, /there are local committees at each populous place, ivho semi representatives, if they think fit, to the chief committee, and regulate all local hospital matters themsdlves. -Each local committee is expected' to molll’cti certain contributions, .and is empowered to send so many, patients for treatment, a debtor and creditor account being kept ,witli the central committee,' 1 the latter; through the local committees, being' kept constantly posted up with reference to all the district. We may say tliat wo are now giving, a very, brief general outline of* the managementi df ; hospitals 5 on' the West Coast of the’Other island. 'Subscribers of one pound per annum are entitled to" ‘udmissioit at any' time in ■ case <nf being so ill as. to rccpiire liosjiital treattuent; whilst larger subscribers not only- possess that privilege, but can .minimate patients for admission iii proportion to their subscription./‘Thus the wOrking man,.who’ has no' liouuj.ot, his . o\Vii, or whose, ineans . would h’o'F him to obtain ' the ; care, iin<l f ./}(.! vice he : needs disease of can [Ciisnrcj hi«|-. self 'botit. by ah.. whilst employers charitable inmi do ..possessed of means 'gnu., secure.’ jtlifc’sarae by larger coiitribh-' tidus. Tly flic.next. “meeting.the pom- i hiittee ran with v6ry ’ liTtio 1 Trouble to : them.-.elres.dray- up a ro{#brt, ,oxplaiu|iig .details, wlncir w’dfl'skow,'easily'and plijeaply; dis. a 'sinaUf eale, qiiite yequi regents,' can 'liei 'Opened without" delay.' '■ Wiieii‘ llie' Counties..Bill comes Into operation, will be chsy to obtain approval.of’what iipty at that time have _ been 'clone, and,' fiuu'i some iiody or btlior, aid to cany on ihj future witli.* The very fact of helping.; ourselves at the outset .will give an extra Claim for future’ jis'sistluice, 1 ami we hope 1 that the.public ot all surrounding dis 7 tiicts will hcarilly cb-opcra'te 'in getting so ; good awoi k fairly afloat. Ii they j do, very little red tape or official corves-

nondonee will he necessary, and nil example can he set hero that may with !ulvantage. . hei followed in other rural parts of-t-he-Colony, clistnnt, ns this is, from old established refuses lor those who are sink and destitute.