The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1876.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 160, 21 October 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1876.

Thkrk is at last, wc are glad to say, a fair prospect for the almost immediate establishment of a hospital in, and for the Patou district, and now it will rest with the people themselves. The chief difficulty, as our readers arc aware, was to obtain a suitable building, and. application was made to the Government for some of the unused Immigration building's. A .committee was also; appointed at a public meeting to take other prelimimny steps and repoit when .things were in fair train. Up to this week, however, nothing satisfactory has been arrived at, hut we are glad to say that on Wednesday last, Mr Lett, one of the committee —who, we may say, has been most indefatigable in the cause—interviewed Captain Wray, and obtained from him a promise that one ofThe cottages attached to the Immigration quarters should- be placed at- the disposal of a Hospital Committee at once, and if necessary the second one should be handed over also for hospital uses. These will afford ample requirements for present necessities, and, should greater need arise, the coming County Council will have to be appealed to for any increased accommodation that may bo required. This, as a matter of course, will be afforded, inasmuch as hospitals, and other cognate institutions, arc especially placed under Comity control, or at least the counties will be responsible for their maintenance within their respective boundaries. In the meantime buildings are now available, and it behoves the public to see that at least all needful preparations for the reception of unfortunates are made. We have repeatedly explained how the hospital system on the goldfields of the West Coast of the Middle Island, and in Victoria works, and the committee at the next public meeting will doubtlessly furnish further details, but a brief “ resume” will perhaps afford some forgotten items. In the first place the district hospitals are managed entirely by committees elected from the sab scribovs, a minimum subscription of 10s allowing each subscriber to vote. The nominations of committcc-men are taken exactly, in the same way as for any other public body, and the election is conducted similarly in every respect. In Victoria it was usual for the Warden, or Commissioner of the district to be Chairman £l ex officU” as a check on the expenditure of the subsidy granted, and possibly the grants in aid to be received from the County Councils may have some such condition attached. There is a central committee at the chief place of the district, and ' local committees exercise authority in their respective locations, but members of the local committees are authorised to attend the meetings of the central committee, and are fully recognised as being on equal terms, being authorised to speak and vote, and possess all the privileges of the latter. Between the various local committees and the central committee, a debtor and creditor account is kept, showing the number of , patients scut from each, their cost as far as can be ascertained—the amount of money contributed from each distrietand a balance is struck half-yearly to prove the indebtedness of caclt. There are two classes of patients, both of which arc, however, treated alike in every respect —those who voluntarily pny at rates fixed, others who arc destitute, but who, on leaving, sign acknowledgments, '•which, in hundreds of cases, have been honorably redeemed when fortune has been more favorable. Accidents are admitted at once without question, and the sufferers attended to forthwith. There is a pa’d residut medical officer, but, as a rule, all medical men resident in the district are honorary surgeons or physicians, audattcud on stated days. There will ha no difficulty, we understand, in this respect hero. Subscribers ofvarious amounts have varied privileges, either of admission themselves or of recommending others, whilst local committees are authorised to send patients direel if their cases justify their admission. The Provincial Government ofWestlaml, and the General Government of Victoria

a llocate certain sums annually' ns subsidies to supplement local subscriptions, at the same time, as wc have already stated, giving all authority to, and throwing- all responsibility on the various district hospital committees. This is a very faint' dutlin’e of the systems which have worked so'admirably in country districts elsewhere, and would wc are sure, answer all purposes herv. It will bo more fully explained at Che- public meeting- to be shortly held. At this meeting- we trust that settlers round will attend, and also that similar mootings wdl bo hold at all the various centres within the projected County to consider the same subject and unite with Carlyle in so noble an object. There is no excuse for delay now the buildings are ready for occupation, the cost of necessary furniture will be trilling, there are scores of humane people round ready to dip their hands in their pockets for such a purpose, there, are amateurs ready to give entertainments to this end, and hundreds anxious to attend them, there is a balance still in the local Provincial Treasurer's hands that will bo given on application, and in fact abundant funds to most sucessfnlly inaugurate tiro Fatca County hospital can begot by a very little energy, surely in the cause of the sick, the maimed, and tiic destitute, sue!) an appeal will never again be made in vain, and very few weeks will elapse before provision is made for them.