PUBLIC OPINION.

Patea Mail, 4 March 1882, Page 3

PUBLIC OPINION.

Contributions, Letters, Inquiries and Answers thereto, are invited on Farming, Commerce, Politics, and matters of interest to the Patea district. Names of writers need not be Printed. THE HOSPITAL INQUIRY. From your report of the Hospital Steward’s dismissal, it might be inferred that my letter to the County Council was prompted by animus, from the fact of my not having reported any complaints as to bis inefficiency until there happened to be an enquiry into matters between the Steward and the County Clerk. My sole reason for writing that letter was that, having expressed my opinion to one Councillor as to what qualifications are desirable in a Hospital Steward, that Councillor suggested that I ought to communicate my opinion to the Council. I did so, and therefore mentioned several small matters together which, taken singly, would not be worth a formal complaint. Had I

not been practically told that the Council would expect as a duty, to stale my opinion on the Steward’s fitness or unfitness, I might have gone on making the best of existing circumstances. My letter had no reference to the inquiry into matters between the Steward and County Clerk respecting the disappearance of hospital liquors; but my letter did happen to come before the Council at the same time. Of course the Council took such action as they deemed proper, upon all the facts before them. W. F. Keating.