Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1867.

Southland Times, Issue 691, 3 July 1867, Page 2

Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1867.

1 The meeting of the subscribers to the Hospital, to be held this evening in the Council Hall, is one of much importance. It will be in the recollection of our readers, that a few months since, when the Grovernment handed over the control of this institution to a public committee, the gentlemen elected expressed an intention to ! call a general meeting at the end of three months to give an account of the reforms they had initiated in the system of management, and then resign. In accordance with this resolve the meeting of ! to-night has been called. The chief business therefore will be to receive a report as to past operations and the future prospects of the Hospital, as a public institution, and the election of a new committee of management. This is important business, and it is to be hoped that all who feel an interest in the progress of the establishment will make it their duty to be present. There is noinstitution that has so great claims on the sympathies of the public as a well-con-ducted Hospital. It commends itself to the attention, and merits the support of j every right-minded man, and no British community can neglect its claims without tarnishing the high reputation for benevolence which as a nation it has honorably earned. At the time it was proposed to place the management of the Southland Hospital in the hands of an elected committee from the subscribers, instead of leaving its conduct to the Q-overnment, much migiving was expressed as to the policy of so doing. The discordant character of public committees previously formed in Invercargill, and the indifference that had long been a characteristic of the people certainly pointed to the probability of a failure, and the control of the institution coming back to the Grovernment, or its working being altogether suspended. Until the Eeport to be brought up at the meeting this evening is made public, it would be folly to affirm that all such misgivings have been entirely dissipated, but we believe we are justified in stating that the appeal made to the public for the funds wherewith to carry on operations has been liberally responded to by the townspeople especially. Between one hundred and fifty and two hundred pounds has already been received. It must be acknowledged that this is a fair beginning, and argues favor* ably of. future success, Still much moj^

is required to ensure the efficiency of the establishment. The attention of the upcountry settlers we desire to call to the claims that the Hospital has on their generosity. We believe a large majority of the patieiits tkat Hay© entered the Hospital since it was first opened have been country cases, and these the most dangerous and tedious. It must be kept in mind that it is a provincial, not a town institution, that its aid is afforded to all, that its management recogn^es neither creed nor country, but seeks to relieve and heal the afflicted wherever found. It is the institution that presents legitimate claims to the generosity of every class of the community. It is much to be desired that this fact should be fully understood by the people, and that it is now a. public institution, dependant chiefly upon the liberality of the people for the means of prolonging its existence, and increasing its usefulness. The meeting to be held this evening will be one of interest, as well as of importance. At the time the retiring committee took office, there was much said as to the expensive manner in which the Hospital was conducted by the G-overn-ment, and great reforms were promised. We shall now learn how far the Committee hare been able to carry out its intentions. The time it has been in office is so short, that it is scarcely to be expected that all the changes desired have been accomplished, but it has been sufficiently long to have enabled the members to have formed a system for future operation, which they will doubtless recommend to the consideration of the subscribers. Again, we would urge upon every subscriber, that it is a duty to attend a meeting that should not be lightly neglected. For the credit of Southland, it is to be hoped that every individual in the province will give all the aid in bis power to the Committee of the Hospital, in their efforts to render it the greatest of Southland's public institutions.