The Hospital and the Government.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3801, 4 March 1881, Page 2

The Hospital and the Government.

The question raised at the Hospital meeting as to the relative position of tbe Thames Hospital and the Government is of considerable importance, and in order that our readers may determine for themselves the position, we give copies of letters received by the Hospital authorities. In t|une lasji the £orough Council iminiated to the Government that if subsidies were stopped, it could not support the Hospital. The Government then instructed Mr Kenrick to report upon the management ot the Hospital, the cost of maintenance, &c, and also upon the Orphanage. Upon the receipt of Mr Kenri^k's report tbe following letter was sput <o him—a reply which pjaced th.c positbn very plainly '; —

Cobnial Secretary's Offica, Wellington, 21st July, 1880 —Sir,—l am directed by the Colodul Secretary to acknowledge the receipt of yoir letter of vhe 9th instant, and to thank you fir the able and intelligent report which you lave made upon the Hospital and other chariuble institutions at the Thames. Tbe £j-o'ye:riraent have jio desjre to Interfere with the ontrol and' niana;»eine.nt of justitutiqns \yhiol appear to. have heen so admirably condicted in the immediate past, nor will they interfere with tlie 4 uauyeh! °* those iugtitifcions if it be possible by any means to avoidsuoh interference. If then the existing Coiuuittee feel themselves able to continue as at preenfc to carry on without assistance from the Government beyond the £ for £ hitherto paid o them, so much the better, matters will remain as they are. If, on the other

hand, the Committee are compelled to come to the Government for further aid, pending the issue of the Bill now before Parliament to provide for the whole question of charitable institutions, the Government will be willing to supplement their funds, but only to an extent sufficient for absolute need, and in that case it will become necessary to add your name to the Committee to protect the interests of the Government and to represent its views.—l have, &c., G. S. Coopeb.—To H. Kenrick, Esq., KM., Grahamstown.

The subscriptions not being sufficient with the subsidy of £ for £ the Government of course are driven to take the course stated in the last clause of the letter. In order to show that such a course has been adopted we quote the following letter, dated November 16th, 1880 :— Colonial Secretary's office, Wellington, New I Zealand.—Sir, —l have the honor to acknow • ledge the receipt of your leti.er of the 23rd ultimo, forwarding the statements of the Thames Hospital for the September quarter. In. reply, I ma directed to inform you that a voucher iot ££0§ lla Id \\aa \jeen pasßed. iot payment, being the amount required to make I good the deficiency in the revenue of the i I Thames Hospital during the September quarter, which sum will be deducted from I. \ Co\u\vj wk&et %eci\'\.OT*. % <^. " "Eyt\s.ucv&\ \ Arrangements Act, 1878," and also a voucher I for £46 IS*, being the amount of & for £ subsidy due on account of subscription!) received during the September quai'fer, —I have, &c, G. S. Coopeb.—Hdwaed TifcMiss, Esq., Secretary to Hospital, Thames. The case appears quite plain the Government are expected to pay the liabilities of the Hospital, but as yet they have not intimated to the Hospital Committee the necessity for placing Mr JUenrick on the Committee. The Borough Councillors, however, retain their seats notwithstanding that they were only elected because the Council contributed to the cost of maintenance. We give these particulars for the information of the public.