The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1877.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 258, 29 September 1877, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1877.

A poßßKsroN'OKvr writes from lJuwera its follows ;—“ A white woman has been ill for some time in Hnwora, and it was found advisable to send her to the Hospital in Carlyle. Accordingly a telegram was forwarded there, in order to sec whether she would be admitted. The answer received was to the effect that a nurse must be sent with her. As the poor woman has not the means to pay one, for all the County authorities seem to care, she may die in a neglected state. Dr Cole has, with his usual philantrophy, done Ids best to alleviate the invalid’s sufferings ; but a nurse is required, and it will devolve upon private charity to attend to the matter. It is said a person having Merit!m tremens was admitted into the Hospital a few week’s since—hence it docs appear uncommonly cruel to place such restrictions that a poor helpless woman cannot possibly comply with, in order to be admitted. The necessity of a rigid danse in the Charitable Institutions Bill is evident. It is said the matter will be ventilated in other ways, when doubtless the Hospital will bo placed on a right footing.” On receipt of the above communication, we made it our business to enquire into the matter, and ascertained that a telegram had been received from Hawera, applying for the admission to the Hospital of a married woman, who was very ill, and in want of the services of a nurse. In the first telegram, neither the name of the sufferer nor the nature of the complaint was given. In reply to queries, the name was telegraphed, the nature of the complaint, audit was mentioned that the sufferer would have to undergo a dangerous surgical operation, and that the services of a competent nurse would be required. The Chairman of tiro County Council immediately communicated with the Hospital Surgeon, and also made enquiries for a competent nurse. Search for a nurse proved unavailing. While enquiries wore being made, it was ascertained that two or more professional nurses resided at Hawera, and as it was found impossible to procure one at Carlyle, the following telegraphic reply was sent to the enquiry if the patient could bo accommodated in the Patea Hospital : —“ Mrs Nnttall can be admitted into the Hospital, if nurse can be sent with her. There is no female nurse to be had here, All expenses must bo guaranteed by Nnttall.” The accommodation at Patea Hospita is such that it is questionable if any nurse could be got to stay from one to three months, as the above case would probably require. It is also likely that two doctors would require to be present at the operation, and that it would be safer for the patient to be visited at Hawera, than for her to risk a journey to Carlyle. There was, however, no objection to the patient being forwarded to the Hospital, as the telegram quoted above will show. The only difficulty was as to a nurse. The accommodation at the Hospital, though not so good as desirable, would still suffice at a pinch. As to expenses being guaranteed, the information was volunteered, while enquiries for nurse wore being made, that Mr Nnttall was a carpenter, with every prospect of regular work. It was, therefore, thought he would not, or ought not, to be unwilling to undertake to pay costs, when convenient to himself, instead of making the case a charge on the County —hence the condition. In connection with admissions to Hospital, it may bo mentioned that there is often too great readiness on the part of people, quite able to pay their own expenses, to throw themselves on the charity of the County ; and without in any way passing opinion on the above case, we think it no discredit to the officials that caution should bo exercised. The first telegram was so vague that there was no alternative but to make further enquiry. The correspondent in his letter contrasts the above case with that of a man lately in the Hospital with delermm tremens. It is not the first time the same man has been in the Patea Hospital for treatment for the same complaint. Yet he was seldom out of work, when sober, and each time entered the Hospital as a pauper, and the County bad to pay all costs. Of cases passed through the Hospital during the year, there -have been really few that ought to have been a charge on the County. One man who has cost the County over £2O, is of good family and well connected, and could no doubt easily manage to pay if so inclined. Another, whose bill would tot up to over £3O, is a good tradesman, seldom oat of work, and at the present time is earning over ten shillings a day. One who had been in Hospital for months,

previous to tlic County Council taking charge, expressed himself in strong terms on being informed that ho would in future have to do his own cooking—u He’d bo d d if he would’nt go to work before lie would submit to such scurvy treatment.” And ho wont to work, and might have done so earlier without injury to his constitution. Other similar cases might be quoted. There arc, of course, exceptions. House accommodation is so scarce at Carlyle, that country people requiring continuous medical treatment, are compelled to put up with Hospital accommodation; but it does not follow that the County is charged with the cost. We could mention a late pressing case, in uhich the party would have preferred to Unger on in pain than use the Hospital except on condition of paying all expense . The authorities at Carlyle, judging by the cases which have been admitted to Hospital, arc more likely to err on the side of two great leniency, than on that of harshness, and we have no doubt that the case mentioned by correspondent whose remarks are printed above, will be fairly and even liberally dealt with. If the authorities are deserving censure, we shall not attempt to shield them. W c are, however, of opinion, that in endeavouring to ascertain particulars before admitting any and every case to Hospital, and as far as possible preventing unnecessary expense, the authorities are to bo commended rather than blamed.

Mr William Dale will hold large general sale to-day at Carlyle, without reserve. Lunch provided. Tenders for carpenter’s work for Patca Education Board must be sent to the Secretary before 10 a.m. ou Monday. It will bo seen by advertisement in another column that Messrs. Mcßae and Nicholson, of Woodsidc, arc giving a Cup of twenty-five guineas, to be run for by two year olds on the Patca Course, the produce of their stud horses—Deadsbot and Monarch.

We bear that Mr Bercsford, who has taiteu over the store formerly conducted by Mr McGregor, has made considerable improvements, and has bad additianal live rooms erected.

Fencing operations are reported as being brisk at Normauby. It looks as if settlers were intending to add to the attractiveness of their holdings. Mr John Black has been gazetted Deputy Registrar of Cattle and Sheep Brands for that portion of the Patoa County which is within the Provincial District of Wellington.

The Waitara and Manakau Steam Navigation Company (Limited) has been registered under the Joint Stock Companies Act.

The Normauby Hotel, which is now in the hands of Mr D. McGregor, late of Wanganui, has been thoroughly rc-arranged and made botli comfortable and attractive —the painter, upholsterer, and miscellaneous workers have each done their share towards inaugrating a new order of tilings, which will no doubt be properly appreciated hy tho g-cncra.l and travelling public.

There should bo a good muster of country people in Carlyle to-day, at the Agricultural and Pastoral Society’s show of entires. Local owners are expected to show to advantage. The parade takes place at halfpast two o’clock in rear of the Court House-

On Tuesday evening last, as Mr W. Colson’s children were playing about on the green beside the shop, having a bit of a romp with one another, one little fellow fell with his shoulder to the ground and broke the collar bone. When the nature of the injury had been ascertained Dr Croft was called in to attend the sufferer, who is now going on fairly well.

Amongst provisional reserves for Educational purposes in tho Provincial District of Taranaki gazetted is Block 36 Opunake.

The Dunedin Saturday Advertiser referring .to tho obstructive tactics of an Opposition lacking strength in aught but villification, and the costliness and shanrof responsible Government as at present carried on, says —“ What the country requires is not months spent in vain wrangling, extending over an entire session, at an enormous cost, to settle who shall enjoy the sweets of office, hut that we shall revert to greater simplicity in our conduct of business. At the beginning of each session, the Government should lay before the House a complete 1 director’s’ report.’ The House should then at once express approval or disapproval. If a change be necessary, the election should be in the hands of the House. Once the policy of the day is settled, there should be no change in the members of the Government until their next 3’early report comes up for discussion. There is no reason why the ordinary principles of management of the affairs of mercantile or municipal corporations should not be followed with advantage. There are many mercantile bodies, such as the London banks or leading railway companies, who have greater revenues to administer, and a larger staff to control than this Colony has; and there are -many municipalities whose concerns are regulated in a simple com-mon-sense way, with whose affairs in point of magnitude and importance our own business will not hear one moment’s comparison.

Thu boundaries of 3,500 acres land situated in the Seventy Mile Buab, Hawkes Bay, intended for Special Settlement purposes, have been gazetted. The following gentlemen have been reported by the Returning Officer fW. A, G. Winchcombe, Esq.) as duly elected, have been gazetted as Commissioners of the Waverley Local Town Board —William McFarlane, William Ovcrend, Samuel Caldwell, Walter Swinbourne, and Henry Frederick Mason.

The’ Wellington Argus says:—The Harbors and Navigation Act, 1877, in charge of the lion Mr McLean, lias been circulated. It is a ponderous document, which requires some time to master. We shall give it early attention. We understand the Wharf Committee of the City Council will be called together to consider i s clauses, as bearing upon the interests of the Corporrtion.

The Government have received advice by cable that the ZeaLndia loft Frisco on the 12th instant, with the London mail of the 23rd August, and is due at Auckland on stb October. The City of San Francisco left on the 20th instant, with the New Zealand August mail. At the annual meeting of the Wanganui Bible Society, the Chairman, referring to the Parent Society, said —“ It had been established for the purpose of fulfilling the Almighty command to send the Bible into all lands. It had been translated into 21G languages and dialects, and sent to every part of the world. The income of the Parent Society was now 11200,000 a year, and they bad already distributed 30,000,000 copies of the Bible. The Society was established in 1804, and since that lime upwards of 80,000,000 copies of the Scriptures had been circulated by its aid.”

Mr William Dale, of Carlyle, lias on view a lithographed copy of Mr Meek’s Chronological Tree of Now Zealand, about which so much has lately been said in papers north and south. The Wanganui TTeralU says —The boundary of the Wanganui Education District has been definitely settled, and it now includes the Counties of Patca, Wanganui, Rangitikci, and Manawatu. The Central Board will of course hold its sittings at this town. We doubt if any other Education District in the Colony can compare with ours in point of fertility and ultimate prospects. In the House of Representatives on Wednesday last, (2Gth instant), Mr Larnacli gave notice of the following motion —That the House disapproves of the action of the Government in continuing to publish the Walca Maori newspaper at public expense, in defiance of the vote of the House ; and in allowing its columns to be used for the publication of libellous matter.—The Hon Mr Whitaker said the Government would accept this as a vote of want of confidence, and accordingly moved the adjournment of tho House till to-morrow, when the motion would be proceeded with.

A bill has been introduced in the Upper House to provide for the Incorporation of Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in New Zealand.

There was a big crowd of people in Hawcra on Wednesday last, attracted probably by the two important auction sales held on that dav.

The Wellington Argun of the 24th says : —The earthquake season has commenced, and the first real shake was experienced on Saturday last, at 4.44 p.ra. There was no mistake about the direction of the wave, for the oscillation was such as to indicate pretty plainly that it travelled from north to south. The sensation experienced by persons standing on the wharf was something similar to a huge steamer striking the piles, and making persons actually think the trembling feeling experienced was from that cause. On shore there was no doubt as to the genuineness of the shake, and in some instances practical illustrations were given of this singular convulsion of the earth. At the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel two clocks, which had not been going for some time, were set in motion, and a large timepiece which was going, was stoppedIn a house in Taranald-street, two handsome vases and a massive silber lamp were thrown from the shelf they were on, and broken to pieces on the floor. The large brick store being erected for Messrs W. and C. Turnbull was not shaken the least, neither were any of the tall brick chimney stacks in town, hut in. the General Assembly library the members who were sitting there got terribly scared.

Anything Mr Sherwood says or does, or anything said of that gentleman, appears to stir the bile of the Chronicle. The follov'ing is the latest notion. The Chronicle says—“ This is how the the Patea Mail pokes fun at the local member of the Wellington Philosophical Society:—‘ It is seldom any gentleman is so popular in any district as Mr Sherwood appears to be, ■judging by the number of important elective public offices he holds.’ Really, this is top bad. Our contemporary gently tickles tbe sensitive gentleman just enough to raise the skin, and then apples the brine. Wombwell used to have- an animal in his menagerie which the custodian had to tickle for the entertainment of the gamins, and then rub with boor’s grease and lampblack. Some similar operation the Mail has now undertaken, and has accomplished the first.’’