AUCKLAND

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2277, 5 July 1880, Page 2

AUCKLAND

[l-'KUJt UL'Jt OWX (■UKKKSrOXOE.Vi']

Current Parliamentary intelligence during the past week or two has been divested of much of the interest which usually attaches to it through the feeling evoked by a remarkable scandal in couconneetion with the Provincial Hospital. It exhibits in a very strong light not only the opportune afforded lor ollieial abuse, but also the necessity thalexists for some local governing body which should have entrusted to it the management of such an important public institution. The circumstances ot the case may be briefly rehearsed. At the beginning of May last a man named (I add employed as a night nurse at the Hospital complained to the medical officer in charge (Hr pilson) that at various periods recently the bead nurse (>S. Drown) had received sums of money from dying patients in trust for their relations, and that in each case he bad appropriated those small sums to his own use. The gross amount was staled at C-M. Dr I’liilsun brought the accused and the accuser together, and the result was that (ladd’s story was proved to have some foundation for Drown re-

1 net,an tty acknowledged his culpability in one particular case. Dadd interviewed Mr Swanson (M.H.H. for Newton), by whom he was referred to Mr Tiiomas Maclfarlanc (a J.P.). That gentleman, however, was too busy to investigate the complaint, although lie found time to see Dr Piii'.son on tho subject, the el feet of their conference being the appointment of a a enquiry, which Gadd was notified to attend. .Instead of obeying the summons, be went in search of Mr Swanson in order to obtain advice, but subsequently bis statement wa•? taken down by Mr MaclVarhmo. Dr Pidlsou forwarded a report to the Colonial Secretary, and Dadd also wrote to the same address. In the meantime Brown admitted the truth of Dadd’s allegations, and made restitution of bis ill-gotten gains. After the lapse of some time, Dadd received a reply from the Colonial Secretary informing him that while the bead nurse bad acknowledged the truth of tho charge, expressed conirilimi, and refunded the money, and that whilst his own conduct in reporting the matter de-

served commendation, his subsequent behaviour (viz., absence from the enquiry) had been such as to render it impossible for him to retain bis office. And so Brown, the penitent culprit, was graciously pardoned, and Dadd, the honest accused, peremptorily discharged. Verily, this is justice with a vengeance. The innocent punished, vnd the, guilty compassionated and favored !The reason alleged for Dadd’s dismissal is extremely unsatisfactory—merely an ini prudent omission on his part and one easily accounted for too. But this is not all. Dadd was superseded in the rcqionsible situation of night nurse by a man who, no great length of time before, bad been a helpless monomaniac, under treatment in that very hospital for some form of religions frenzy. In view of a possible recurrence of such an unfortunate and subtle malady the choice of this man as a successor to Dadd was extremely injudicious. These particulars have- a!! been laid before the public by lln; press, and the opinion which limy created lias been so singularly unanimous, and the feeling engendered so determined, that Mr Brown (whether under pressure or not) has resigned, w hile the convalescent

subject of mental disease has been missed from his usual haunts for several days past. It is certainly high time that run - public eleemosynary institutions were, placed under the watchful surveillance of a. local hoard, for complaints have been too frequent of late in connection with more than one of them. UNToriq.Alt TAX KS. For several weeks the public mind lias boon exercised on the subject of the property and beer taxes, but as several ebullitions of public feeling and indignation have recently taken place the popular excitation is now somewhat allayed. The agitation only reached its culminating point by slow degrees, and even then it appeared to be confined to tiie higher and middle classes of the community, for the daily papers ■ had sedulously impressed the working man with the belief that (lie impost '.vas, one desiginal entirely for his henelit. and that the clamours which were beginning to resonml over the,colony proceeded merely from the branen throat-; of tin - disgusted men of large means. Some of the representatives in their long-deferred

post-sessional addresses were the lirst to exclaim with emphasis against the tax, and (hen the Chamber of Commerce took up the cry. Public meetings at Newmarket, in the city, and at i’arncll followed each other in quick succession and by apparently universal consent the levv was denounced as illiberal and inequitable in operation, and inquisitorial in character. It was shown that indirectly the tax readied the working man, and of course this widened and deepened the adverse feeling until the newspapers themselves began with much shrewdness to perceive obnoxious features in it. The exemption of personal effects from its operation tended to sooth the general perturbation and the expectance of its defeat by the House has hastened the progress to a state of normal tranquility. The Meer Tax, though condemned by public speakers, and through the Press, as an additional and unfair burthen thrown upon the shoulders of the working man, has not called forth any special protest. Still there arc indications of a, prevalent spirit of dissatisfaction with it being abroad, and unless it is reduced somewhat, there is every likelihood of an appeal being made against it. The people of Auckland tacitly acquiesce in the necessity for increased taxation, in sonic shape or other, and this explains (heir unwillingness to condemn hastily this liquor embargo. Tbc nows of its imposition must have been communicated to the Customhouse depot here with wonderful celerity,for the ollleials were in attendance at the various breweries at daybreak on the morning after the presentation of the Financial Statement, and as the stock in each place was large, a good round sum was collected.

There was no opportunity given for eluding the excise olliccr, such :is that afforded the brewers of: Xajher. The licensed victuallers met promptly, and after some discussion, in (he course of which fears were expressed that an attempt would be made by rival publicans to undersell each other, the price of beer, served in glasses, was fixed at Gel per pint, or, if dispensed from the bar, 5d per pint. In order to make assurance doubly sure each bonifacc was required to sign an agreement to observe (his larilf. However the compact was not kept by all, for a day or two afterwards the public were astonished by the appearance of a troop of old topers promenading up and down (he principal footwalks with boards on their backs containing in all the vivid realism of white paint upon a black ground the startling announcement that Andrew Fernanda (a little Portugese Jew) had resolved to sell shandygaff and beer at (lie astonishing low price of three pence per pint, (lie reason assigned being the discovery of a rivals perfidy in attempting to undersell him. Fernandez, of course, is reaping a bountiful harvest now and bis neighbours are gnashing their teeth in unconcealed vexation and rage. 01.-TICIUUS in, UK STUCK IMIS.

The Dev. Mr Ifabens (luspectortleneral of Schools) has just been appointed to conduct an official ununiry into certain irregularities which are charged against the master of the Neglected and Destitute Children’s Home. This is the result of a little agitation fermented by the Ladies’ Committee, and fanned into llainc by the publication of ' an anthorative letter in the press. Two of Hie most inlluential gentlemen on the genera! committee, one of them the local liesident Magistrate, were deputed to interview the. irate feminine committee, and the result was the exoneration of the

master fr ;m all suspicion. It was tin old, old story. Mrs A hud hoard from Airs I’ that Mrs G had gravely informed her that Mrs D’s husband thought Mr Stickley was on terms of undue familiarity with, a young woman who had grown up in the Home. It wa> ascertained that this young woman was an adopted child, and that both master and matron had simply treated her as their daughter. However, the ladies were not satisfied and hence the pending , enquiry. The cause of the feeding against Stickloy is shrewdly suspected to lie in another quarter. He is a brusque little man, warm of heart, and unstudied in forms of courtly speech, and it is therefore opined that ho has not been sufficiently deferential to his high and mighty female supervisors. .Besides it is whispered that one of the principal lad}' agitators, who, at present, manages a young woman’s reading room, has an eye to control of (he Home herself. At any rate Sficklcy possesses not only (ho sympathies of the general public but of the gentlemen who arc connected with the government of the institution. municipal v.vnelation. A few months ago our civic fathers decided, after grave deliberation and extensive reference to the practice of other municipalities that it would conduce more to the public good and suit greatly their personal convenience to have their periodical meetings bold at night instead of in the afternoon. Accordingly the hours were altered, and gas liftings supplied to the Council Chamber. After trying this arrangement, however, for some six or seven weeks, they have been obliged to revert to the old custom. Instead of drawing crowded audiences of the admiring burgesses, as was fondly imagined only live evening visits were paid them during the whole series of meetings While the business instead of taking only two and abalf hoursforeonsidcration as < £ voro consumed regularly live hours of the councillors time. Then in addition to fin; cost of the gas fittings (he officers, whose attendance was required, put in a claim for extra pay. and the phantom of a heavy annual expense to wind up. Fearful of the public wrath that might be occasioned thereat, the councillors hastened to retrace their steps, and now the night meetings areal an end. They are a little wiser in experience by their experiment, hut the city has to pay for it.