THE Evening Star PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2917, 21 June 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 1878.

The Borough Council by resolution at their meeting last sight agreed to adopt the suggestion of the Government to take over tbo control and management-«whicb. involves responsibility of maintenance— of the Thames Hospital. The County Council had been invited to share this responsibility, but they, wisely as we think, declined. The larger municipalities in the South have been nearly unanimous in declining the Government proposals for taking over hospitals and other charitable institutions, and some of them hcve offered suggestions which will probably be acted upon during next session, as legislation on this question must be a part of the business which will occupy the attention of Parliament. In view of tne changes that are imminent, we think it would have been better for the Borough Council to have delayed action, especially in the face of the fact that even before the matter comes before Parliament it will be discussed at the conferences of municipal bodies at Wellington, .when probably some united action will be taken. There was no danger of the hospital suffering in the mem* time, the possibility of which would have been the only excuse for the action taken by the Couucilj and we give Councillors Renshaw and McGowan credit for objecting to the decision arrived at. Neither of these councillors can be accused of want of interest iv the hospital, and the. former especially lias bi-eii so prominent a member of the committee of management during several years that his action was no doubt dictated'by a sincere desire to promote its future good management. It has been nrgued by some that taking over the maintenance of the hospital will involve less sacrifice of Borough funds | than the arrangements at present existing, as there has been more money deducted from Borough subsides for the maintenance of hospitals and other charitable societies than will be required to make up the deficiency between the subscriptions and Government grant and the actual expenditure required for maintenance of the Thames Hospital. On the other hand, it may be said that when burgesses find the revenue of the Borough is being taken directly for hospital maintenance they will decline to subscribe for the same purpose, and so throw the whole cost on the Borough funds. We should much prefer to have seen this question left over until after the Municipal Conference, at which, we believe, it will be proposed to make the maintenance of hospitals and kindred institutions a charge upon the consolidated revenue of the Colony, which, we are inclined to think, would really be the most equitable thing to do. However, the decision of the Thames Borough Council to take the responsibility of the district hospital will not have much weight in influencing legislation, in the face of many refusals in the chief cities of the Colony; but we trust the united municipal wisdom will devise a scheme which tbe Government can give practical effect to by legislation next session—a scheme that will not press unequally on any municipal bodies, and yet secure efficient maintenance of our hospitals, lunatic asylums and other institutions of the kind which have to be provided for by the State or by private benevolence.