The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, THURSDAY, APRIL 17.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 108, 17 April 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, THURSDAY, APRIL 17.

A perusal of our report of the Hospital inquiry will scarcely give our readers a correct idea of the remarkable manner in which the same was conducted. In fact to call it an inquiry is a misnomer, and requires a stretch of imagination, totally at variance with common sense. The meeting had been called with a view of “ investigating the internal management of the Hospital,” but nothing of the sort was even attempted. All that was done was to ask for information relating to the large amount of meat and eggs consumed during the month of March—a period during which the Wardsman, the usual custodian of the institution, was on leave of absence, he having left his post from Feb. 13, to March 29. At the last Committee meeting, when it was found that the grocery and butcher’s accounts were more than usually heavy, it was remarked that no ’Wardsman’s Report had been sent in. Whereupon the doctor was appealed to and distinctly said there was only one patient in the Hospital during that time. Bearing these facts in mind, it appeared somewhat remarkable that it should be now stated that there were nine patients admitted during that period. Averaging the stated attendance of the previous months with March, the Committee compared notes (verbal) and came to to the conclusion “ that the disputed accounts were very little in excess of the average, and consequently reasonable.” We cannot help remarking upon the peculiarity of such reasoning, inasmuch as it tends to show that if any extravagance, &e., had previously existed they were content to perpetuate it providing no increase was made. No books were produced, no names given ; nothing beyond the bare assertion of the wardsman. Although the purport for which the meetiug was called was utterly ignored, notwithstanding the repeatedly expressed desire of Mr. Matthew'son to go into matterstheinquiry willnotbe barren of good results providingitbrings about a better and more economical method of management. That there is ample room for this is shown by the remarks of Mr. Mat i hewson and others that it did not require three people to look after five patients; and also that a

dietary scale should be enforced, a pass-book used to check accounts, and a properly constructed report laid before each monthly meeting, showing the number of patients, &c. In dealing with this subject we have been accused of ignoring a sum of £6OO when reviewing the accounts. Without any of “ the lie direct ” business, we will simply say such a statement can only he made with a view of throwing dust in the publics eyes, and is entirely at variance with the “ noblest instinct ” of truth, and with the real facts set forth. In our last statement we gave the income for the year at £1,754 ss. Id., and stated that this included the £3OO Babker-McDoxald donation, and also the Government subsidy of £ for £ on that amount, making £6OO altogether. We then deducted this £6OO which left a balance of £1,154 ss. Id. So that there can be no possible mistake upon this point we will give the items of income in detail (wu'wws the Barker-hleDonald gift) which is as follows Subscriptions and donations, £384 os. lid. ; subsidy, £594 18s. 6d. ; patients fees, £lOO ss. Bd. ; Borough and County Council grants, £75 ; total, £1.154 ss. Id. Now’ where is the exaggeration, and where have we “ ignored £6OO I” In looking over these figures it will be seen that though the income for the year from subscriptions, patients fees, and Borough and County grants, amounts to £559 6s. 7d., yet there appears the sum of £594 18s. 6d. as subsidy. We cannot explain this excess in the latter amount. In the expenditure provisions and fuel are set down at £287 15s. lid., a sum which, taking the number of patients to have been 91, shows a cost of upwards of £3 per head. The next item is surgery and dispensary £2Ol 125., a sum equal to a little over £2 4s. per patient; salaries and wages £276 145., being upwards of £3 per head for attendance. Thus we see that each patient has averaged for medicine, attendance, food, and fuel upwards of £8 4s. per head. When the sub-Committee have drawn up their report showing the duration of each patient’s stay in the Hospital these matters will ho doubt be much clearer. We will deal with some further matters in connection with this question as soon as space permits.