SOMETHING WRONG.

Patea Mail, 25 September 1882, Page 3

SOMETHING WRONG.

Here is something we should like to see explained. The Government printer has sent ns a return how ranch was spent on the Patea Hospital, and how much received, for the year ended December last. The return shows that only five patients paid anything for hospital maintenance during twelve months, whereas we knew before this return reached us tbat the number must be more than five. We enquired at the Hospital lust Thursday for any explanation or any records of moneys paid by patients. The accounts there are not in. apple-pie order, bat so far as we, could trace the payments by patients last year, they were the following:

John Gallagher Feb. 17 ... £1 1 Richard Bassett /A priMO ... ■ 1 7 Thomas Kirker April 14 ... 315 , John Anderson May 11 ... 11 W. Coggar June 4 ... 22 James Kelly , June 21 ... . 7 0 ; R. Erskine Aug. 14 ... 4 7 Stephen Taylor Dec. 19 .... 5 7; The dates given above are generally those on which the patients left, and in most cases the money would be paid on or about those dates. The above payments make a total of £26. It is possible that the last item, £5 7s, Was paid after the year-end, and if so it reduces; the year’s total to £2O 13s. We may take it that the money known to have been paid by patients last year was about £2O; and we see that the ,money accounted for by the Connty Treasurer was only £lO 19s 3d. What baa been done with the remainder ? Why are not proper accounts kept of .moneys received from patients ? It is not necessary to say that some dishonest officer has put the missing money in his pocket. But it is necessary to say that, in the name of common honesty, this discrepancy ought to be accounted for. We .know that the late Steward brought these payments under the notice of the Council, during the Hospital inquiry, and we believe the Treasurer, then produced a statement of moneys received from patients. There should therefore be no difficulty in ascertaining why the return: sent to Government differs so much from the total moneys known to have been received. As the Government auditor,' Mr M’Alister, is still in Patea, he. may see the necessity for this discrepancy being explained. The loss, if any, is n double one to the County, as Government gave pound for ponnd up to a recent date.

While i the auditor is about it, he might see how the accounts stand for the present year. The records at the Hospital show the following payments by patients this year:

Stephen Taylor Jan. (supposed) ... £5 7 MaryiDudley, Jah.l 5 f ... 0.16 T. Jan. Golder Jan. 6 ... 3 3 Leslie Charles Jan. 18 ... 4 0 Hy. Williams April 4 ... 22 Jas. Sellars > ■■ April 22 0 15 W. Stockholm Sept. 5 ... 2 5 Jus. Oddie Sept. 12 ... 0 9 These show a total of £lB 16s received this! year,: including the first i item as paid, possibly jnst after last year closed. As these Hospital moneys seem to be accounted for in a happy-go-lucky manner, it would be well to see how tl.e dates in the bank book correspond to the dates on which the sums were received. Public accounts should be kept, in a manner to silence all suspicion. These Hospital accounts are kept in a

manner to make one astonished that each slip-shod book-keeping can be allowed to go on.