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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1324, 3 July 1883, Page 2

Recognising the importance of the subject, and the d .ty we owe to the public, and in conformity to the wishes of a number of our subscribers, we made application to official quarters and have graciously received the Inspector of Hospitals' returns for the Poverty Bay Hospital, for the year ending December 31, 1882, the leading items of which we lay before our readers. The subscriptions received from the public for the twelve months amount to no less a sum than £515 4s 7s, this total including a grant of £lOO voted by the County Council towards the erection of a fever ward, leaving

the exact siiin of £415 4s 7d subscribed by a generous public —a sum at once munificent and flattering, proving as it does most conclusively the large benevolent spirit which actuates the majority of our citizens. No nobler impulse can move the soul than a desire to alleviate the suffering of the poor and afflicted, and this large total of donations from a small community like ours proves that the public have nobly done their duly in this respect. It iWW devolves upon us to a-k, has this generosity been properly used, or has it been abused ? It may be answered tha' the donors have the direction of affairs in their own hands, as they can elect any one whom they conceive will best serve the require merits. This is only true to a limited extent, as it too frequently happens that those who are most liberal in giving are the most indifferent as to the application of their liberality, and seldom trouble themselves to see that it is properly applied and expended. Now the best—nay, the only way to ensure an impartial and just application of the funds of this institution isto elect an executive committee composed of men who are in no way deriving ally benefit, directly or indirectly, from the various contracts and necessaries Supplied to the Hospital, and to enact that no contractor, by virtue of office or otherwise, shall be eligible for election. That all and eifrythinq required, including drugs, printing, bedding and furniture etc., shall be supplied by contract, the tenders for which shall be thrown open to to public competition. At present there are those on the committee whose sole object is to work the affair to their own advantage. The same attempts have been made in other public bodies with, we are happy to say, small amount of success. This wholesale system of jobbery must, and shall, be put a stop to The next balance sheet will be closely scrutinized, and should the committee not be purged ot some of the deleterious elements above alluded to, then we shall feel compelled to go into some of the details, which at present were frain from, purely out of motives charitable. Before pursuing this subject further, we will proceed to, give the other various items of revenue :— By Patients’fees ... ... £ll6 1 6 Government subsidy ... 416 18 8

This shows a deficit of £204 14s 2d, The expenditure on account of fever ward is somewhat aslonishing, as the contract price tor the erection w»h £415, and we see £ll3 14s 7d over and above that sum placed against the erection. This should be explained. I’he above figures, showing a total expenditure of £1,253 12s 10d, proves that the functions of the managing committee are very important. The system of granting more than one vote to each subscriber cannot bo too strongly condemned. Surely it cannot be thought that any one would increase the amount of his subscription for the sake of acquiring more votes except, he have some venal object in view. As there is, beyond doubt, a great amount of dissatisfaction felt, and with reason, at the manner in which the affairs of the Hospital are at present managed, we strongly exhort the subscribers who have the disinterested well being of this institution at heart to throw off the indifference they have hitherto shown, and to attend the mee'ing to be held in the school-room on Wednesday evening I’he culpable apathy shown by most subscribers can only result in nullifying th- object of their benevolence, as ii leaves the manage ment in the hands of those who, from interested motives, are sure to attend, with their supporters, in good round numbers It is next to useless giving if subscribers do not see the money properly and economically applied to the purpose for which it is given. We know of no more baneful abuses than those which exist under the guise of charity. We cannot conclude without saying we sincerely trust that our remarks may not have the effect of causing any one to withhold hi« subscription ; because, in the event of such a result we should be defeating the very object we have in view, viz., a greater amount of usefulness at a smallercost, which can only be obtained by a more judicious mode of management.

Total income £1,048 4 9 The total expenditure is as follows :— To drugs and dispensary ... £90 10 6 Rations ... 200 15 9 Fire and light 34 7 0 Bedding and furniture 82 17 6 Salary and wages ... ... 205 10 0 Repairs 39 15 3 Printing ... 21 15 3 Insurance ... 11 3 9 Fever ward ... 220 0 0 50 0 0 107 10 0 151 4 7 - 528 14 7 Incidental 37 16 9 Total expenditure £1,253 12 10