PUBLIC MEETING.

Southland Times, Issue 635, 22 February 1867, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting was held last evenmg in the Provincial Council Hall, " to take into consideration the future management of the Hospital. The Eev. J. T. Shaw in the chair. The attendance was not so numerous as the important nature of the business merited, although the gentlemen present evidently took an earnest interest in the proceedings. The Chairman having briefly stated the objects of the meeting, called on. ; The Provincial Secretary (Mr John Blacklock) who said the time was inopportune as many gentlemen who would otherwise have attended were engaged on } " reception " sub-committees and other ! public business, but, as no time could be lost it was necessary that some action 1 should be taken by the public. As many country settlers would be in town during the Governor's visit it would be well to go on with the initiatory proceedings. With the permission of the Chairman, he would read a lettter from His Honor the Superintendent and one from Dr Moncton accompanying it as follows : — Superintendent's Office, Southland, 20th Peb., 1867. Sib,— ln proposing to the meeting to be held to-day to elicit a committee for the future management of the Hospital, I would call to your recollection the following circumstances, which it would be well to acquaint the meeting with, viz., that hitherto for the sake of economy the Hospital and Lunatic Asylum have been managed almost as one establishment as far as regards supervision, rationing, cooking, washing, and (in a great measure) attendance. The Hospital staff having supplied all these services for. the Lunatics with the exception of those of the resident warder in charge of them — that as it would be illegal to hand over the charge of the lunatics as well as of the Hospital patients to a committee, the two establishments will henceforth have to be managed separately — that no provision has been made by the Provincial Council for additional attendance on the lunatics, nor for building for the Asylum a separate kitchen, wash-house, female ward, division of exercising ground, &c. That these now necessary conveniences cannot be provided without a special vote of the Council for the purpose. That though by strict management the two establishments have hitherto been conducted with the help of one staff with ■ perfect efficiency yet when they come to be separated the present staff will not be more than will be required for the hospital alone and therefore an expenditure apparently not thought of by the Council will have to be incurred for the special service of the asylum. I would suggest that for the three months ending June 30th the management should remain as it is at present, otherwise the Government will be driven either to illegal acts or to. illegal expenditure. I would recommend the careful consideration of the accompanying letter from Dr Monckton to the meeting. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Jno. P. Tatlob, Superintendent. John Blacklock, Esq., Provincial Secretary. Provincial Hospital, February 12, 1867. Sir, — I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 12th, instructing me to notify to the subordinate officials of this department that in consequence of their salaries not being voted by the Provincial Government Council beyond the 31st of March, their services will not be recognised after that date. I beg that I may be informed if such notice is intended to include the warder of the Lunatic Asylum. As the female lunatics are accommodated in the premises of the hospital proper and .attended by the hospital

nurse, and as the dietary arrangements are carried on in the hospital kitchen, may I ask your Honor if the asylum is also to be shut up, or the necessary additions to be made in buildings and staff to enable that to exist as a separate department. The additions I allude, to as necessary aro female asylum ward, with bathroom and accommodation for attendant, kitchen, washhouse, dispensary, storeroom and deadhouse. mm The additional attendants will be one man and one woman, at the least; and then it will be for your Honor's consideraibion whether, to ensure proper attention and discipline, it will be necessary to have a resident head, either as surgeon or governor, in which case even extra accommodation will be required. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, F. A. Monckton, Eesident Surgeon. His Honor the Superintendent, Southland. Mr Lumsden felt some reluctance tb go into the question just then, as he perceived the absence of gentlemen who he felt confident if aware of the meeting would have been there that evening. If the meeting had been sufficiently advertised there would have been more present. There were several matters for consideration m connection with the public undertaking the management of -the Hospital. He thought it was a pity; — he had said so before — that the buildings were so far detached as to make it inconvenient for the cooking, &c, for the Asylum and Hospital to be done at the one place. However, it was plain that they were to 1 be separate establishments. Had certain members of the Eetrenchment Committee been present that evening they would have borne him out in stating that from the evidence they took on the subject, it appeared practicable to leave the charge of the asylum in the hands pf the G-overnment, while provisioning the inmates from the hospital — as was the case at present. He could see rio obstruction to that arrangement being still carried out. The Provincial Council had voted at the rate of -6400 per annum, in j subsidy of public efforts, and it was for the citizens to consider whether they would take over the Hospital. He thought they should certainly attempt to place it under the charge of a public committee, the more especially as the Eetrenchment Committee had considered it possible to economise. He would have proposed an adjournment to, say, the Ist of March, but agreed with the Provincial Secretary that subscriptions from country settlers might be lost by delay. They could however, appoint an interim committee to receive subscriptions, and then call a meeting of subscribers to elect a committee of management. He would move "that a provisional committee be appointed to receive subscribers' names, with the view of providing for the maintenance of the Hospital and its government, by a public committee to consist of tne following gentlemen, with power to add to their number : — Messrs M'Pherson, Law, Calder, Kingsland, Hare, John Eoss, W. Wood, Jabez Hay, Harvey, Eeese, Clerke, Pratt, Scandrett, Crouch, John Blacklock, Lumsden, Ham, Secretary." Moved by Mr Lumsden, and seconded by Mr Kingsland. Mr Eiingsland said no argument had yet been adduced in favor of the proposal to hand over the institution to public management, although in other colonies such was the practice. He could but remark in this town that all movements of social importance, Mechanic's Institutes, &c, depending on public support had not done well, but if the Hospital movement went on he hoped it would meet with a betber fate. Anything of the kind to be successful should however start fair, as only failuge could result from the absence of clear; understanding of its nature and constitution. He did not think they should try any experiments, but as publicly managed Hospitals existed in Victoria and other colonies they should obtain copies of tho rules that were found to work satisfactorily, and have everything clearly laid down and understood. The poor were always with them, and it was the duty of everyone to assist as far as lay in his power. He felt sure that none of the committee nominated would fail to use every exertion to promote tbe object in view. Mr Crouch said that as the only one present of a sub-committee at one time appointed — with the endorsement of the Oovernment —to inquire into the management and cost of the Hospital to accomplish the end they had again in view that evening, he might state that they found everything connected with it on the whole satisfactory. A report suggesting that it should be handed over to the public upon certain conditions was drawn up and forwarded to His Honor asking for a reply, but no answer was received for several months, yet at the next meetmg of the Provincial Council a few days after his Honor had replied, because action had not been taken it was said that the public did not want to take over the Hospital. He could endorse much of what Mr Eiagsland had said as to the prevalent apathy, but he hoped they would now do .better. Just after that session of the Provincial Council lunatics were removed from the gaol to their present quarters, an arrangement which seemed likely to complicate the affair. That the public should take the management there appeared no question, and as there were only five weeks for which provision had been .made, immediate action. was necessary. He thought that perhaps the best way would j be that suggested by PCis Honor — that things should remain as air present until June. He found however thai it would entail on the committee the task of raising £110 for the three months— -& larger sum than the first committee anticipated ; their impression being that £200 or £300 ?& the yery utmost per annum wosd he

sufficient to be raised by the ptibhcV Still, in the face of the larger sum, he would not*, for one, Bhrink from the difficulties' and responsibility of raising the required sum. He quite agreed with Mr Kingsland that they should start fair and although, there were from variou causes but comparatively few persons present, their attendance was gratifying as showing that the movement was likely to take, hold of the public mind. He thought a provisional committee migh, t be organised and had no doubt that if members tickets were issued that they would get a sufficient number of _fttbscribers. L „ On the motion of Mr Lumsden, Mr Blacklock's name was added to the Committee. Mr Crouch asked if the resolution embodied the principle " that the public do take over the -management of the Hospital," a matter that he considered should have come first. Mr Kingsland then moved an adjournment sine die. Mr Pratt moved as an* amendment "that business be proceeded with." Ori a show of hands, the amendment wasi carried by 14 to 3, , Mi Pratt said there were two sides in the matter—the one to give, and the other to receive. As the public were called on to take over the hospital, he thought there should be a more distinct expression of their consent. The only thing that he objected to in their taking the responsibility, was that they were too few to call themselves the public. There were so many things on foot just now — the Governor's visit,&c— that it was generally understood in the morning that an adjournment would be proposed, and granted. He had no doubt there would be many country subscribers. When he .opposed Mr Kingsland's motion it was with the desire to ask " did that meeting accept the responsbility of the hospital." (No, no.) " The Chairman understood the committe was only to act in the meantimeuntil the number of subscribers could be ascertained. Mr M'Pherson, before the meeting closed, would wish to. understand more clearly what they were to do— what time the public would be expected to take over the Hospital, and also whether the present. Eesident Surgeon was to be retained. He would ask also whether it would riot be practicable to pay over to the committee the allowance for the maintenance of the lunatics ; from his Honor's lettet' there appeared some doubt on the matter — whether there were to be separate departments and separate surgeons. It was requisite to be made aware of all these matters. The Provincial Secretary said the question of the Eesident Surgeonship would rest with the subscribers. Mr Lumsden then moved, and Mr Crouch seconded " That the interim Secretary be requested to call a meeting of^subscribers on Priday, March 8, 1867. A vote of -thanks to the Eev. Mr Shaw, for his services as chairman having been passed, the meeting separated. ■