The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1874.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1745, 6 August 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1874.

At the Hospital Committee meeting yesterday some of the members affected to ignore the charges made against the Hospital management in the letter of ■" Humtnitatis," on the ground that the letter was anonymous. They afterwards admitted the fallacy of their arguments fey appointing a committee to inquire into the charges contained in the letter. We are glad of this, even though it does make some of the sapient : committee men look ridiculous ; and if it ' ' will assist the committee of investigation we have no doubt " Humanitatis" Will throw off the veil of anonymity and publish his proper name, which he has no reason to be ashamed of. The letter has attracted a considerable amount of attention. Before the letter was fairly in type we were informed that the charges were " sub- .:. stantially true," and that Maurice Power's was not an isolated case. Now if these charges ;had no ether foundation than public rumour the Hospital Committee . would only be doing their duty in taking steps .to disprove them; because rumours of this kind being allowed to circulate unchallenged would materially affect the usefulness of the Hospital. : Besides, it is supported by public money and by the contributions of the inhabitants, and everything connected with its management should be above suspicion ; for which reason we think the Committee • did right in consenting to the appointment of a committee </ crqiiry. The Thames people are very good at commencing an agitation, but wanting in persistency—there is no stay in the people

unless they are encouraged at the outset by fair promises, and then it would bo difficult to find a, community more san* guine. The agitation re the wharves, commenced so healthily after the gale of 31st May, has collapsed. The Provincial Government have certainly made Tararu wharf available for ordinary traffic, but Grahamstown wharf, on which so much money has been expended at different times, remains a wreck. VVe do not know the terms on which the lessee holds the wharf, but he has spent enough money on the structure —more than would ever be recouped in a term of years, and we have no doubt he would be very glad to resign his lease if the Government would meet him in the matter. It is a pity to see the wharf in its present dilapidated condition. It was only just beginning to be 1 utilised when it wai destroyed by the gale, and it would not require a large sum of money to restore it if taken in hand at once ; but the longer the work is delayed the more expensive will it become. There is little- i enough of wharf accommodation here, and it does seem a thousand pities that such a structure as Curtis' wharf should be left to the mercy of the elements when a comparatively trifling expenditure would be sufficient to render it available for public requirements.