The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 556, 11 December 1875, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

%u*l-*nd extct justfoe'to ell men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political # # « * * Here shall the Press the Pkoplb's right maintain, Uuawed by>influence and unbribed by gain.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1875.

Thb unfortunate accident which recently occurred to Mr Evens at the Piako, and the difficulty of removing the injured man to the hospital at Auoktand,without suffering, even though aIL possible care was taken through the kindness and courtesy of the railway officiate, ilo .render his powage easy and comfortable points to the necessity ofthe »establishmeat of a local hospital for the Waikato district, generally. Some littte'time since, this urged upon the, authorities the desirableness of taking steps at once for the establishment of h hospital in some central position in the Waikato. The distance from Auckland and the steady increase of population in the distriot, * large proportion of which is necessarily of a class that when overtaken with sickness or accident mast turn to -some public institution.for medical reliat and .comfortable attendance, render It all the more urgent that some such provision should be made. As yet, fthough -there are many men employed in "railway construction and other works, wehave been exceptionally free from serious accidents, but this cannot always be the cise. and even now instances are oonti.iually occui* ring, which never come before the public at all, whera»the want of such medical refuge is severely felt. We might mention an instance that has occurred within our own knowledge during the past few weeks, and doubtless there are others, one known to this one and one known to another, quite as urgent and to "the point. A short time since a servant was required in a large establishment ! in one of the settlements, and a day or two after the man arrived from Auckland he<i woe soized with rheumatic pains, and has notenly beea unable to work for some little time, but has himself required to be cared fo" 1 and attended to *s an invalid. (They >ur- • ney to Auckland is tedious and rough for a person suffering acute pain, and in the absence of a local asylum there is no alternative but to allow a man to remain where he is stricken, whatever the inconvenience, and (who knows when the event may not occur), in the case of the appearance of infectious and contagious disease, whatever may be the danger to others of his being allowed to do so. This condition of things i 9 neither fair to the person afflicted, those with whom ho is brought into immediate contact, or the public at large. The Thames and Coromande). both have for some time had their hospitals liberally supported by local contributions and liberally endowed by the Provincial Government. Of counee 'it may be thought that in the case of either tff these districts the liability at any moment to mining accidents renders a local hospital essentially necessary, but there is really no force in this argument why a hospital should be more necessary thenj than here. Auckland is quicker and easier reached from either place than from Waikato, and the resi'detits of either district are nearer to medical assistance, were there no hospital in case of dither accident or illness than are the majority of the residents of the scattered Waikato settlements. Of the two, there is far more need of a local hospital for Waikato, than for 'either of the districts mentioned. There is a large working population scattered up and down tbe country here, who in 4he event of sickness have no other claim than that of common humanity on the good nature ancl kindness of their employers for the shelterandftttenlion their necessities require ; and for such as these, and for mimy of the more recently settled residents of the districts who may not yet have got about them the conveniences and the comforts of home, and the best and most natural of nurses, it is most desirable and indeed indispensa'ble'lhat a public hospital shall be provided. Many who can well afford to pay for attendance would rather do so at a hospital than quarter themselves upon a hotel or a friend, or have to depend on hired or voluntary rendered them at their own houses. TJnderthe new form of government which will shortly displace that of Provincialism, the duty of hospital provision will be taken over by the Colonial Xrovernment, and, as laid down "in section 22 of the Act, be a charge upon the consolidated 'fund, -so far as such charges are not otherwise by law provided for. It is therefore to the Colonial Government that we must look for assistance in this matter, anfl though during the present intervening period, between thecessation of -Provincial administration and the vigorous action which will follow its falling into other hands, we can* scarcely expect action will be taken, it 13 none too soon to move <in the, matter. On a former occasion we pointed out Ngaruawahia as the most central end convenient spot for a local hospital, nor dpi we see any reason to change that opinion. Situated at the confluence of both rivers it may be reached -with ease from all parts of the Waikato district, For the matter of that, however, the same might be said where any other settlement on either river sul«cted, only that in that case the position would not be so central as far as water carriage is concerned, which naturally, 'in the case of moving a siok or-irijured person, would be resorted to, where possible, astho easiest and best mode of conveyance. The selection of the site is however a point on which there should be neither jealousy nor dissention. 'If Waikatp spli's on such matters, it will ever be a disunited bundloofsticks to be broken separately across any one's knee. What we want is a hospital for Waikato. We can't have one at every settlement. That must be clear to us all; and if we can only induce the Government to supply the want we may fairly leave to it the selection of the locality where such inst'tation shall bo established.

Flooded out. —The full report of Mr. Cox's speech at Ngaruawahia on Thursday evening, several letters ami other matter have all been swept away by the flood, or smothered under Mr. Alfred Bucklmd's wool packs. Mr. Cox addressed a large audience in the »chool-room, Ngaruawahia, on Thursday, aid a vote of thanks was accorded to hun. The report will appear ia full ou Tuesday.

EbbatuHV — In our Cambridge correspondeit's letter, in last Issue, rt Literary Association, for "tlwee oi* four days" read "throa or four years." , L.O L. — Il^e regular monthly meeting of the i Sons of Ulster Lodge, No 3 will hi hild this evening, at the Lodge«»"oom, Hamilton Etst. DaKASH TO THK AUCKLAND AND MttBCEB EAi^\vJkT.--Thd non-arrival of the usunl Auckland Mail till late last night, is explained by the intelligence tint owing to » large lind slip on the line near Pukekohe, communication was broV« 1 off between the two termini. A considerable quantity of ballast will be needed to make good the damage, -»o that it may poanible be a day or two before repairs are affected. The Auckland Mail arrived after all by the oacla at 11 o'clock lust nighr. Mr B R Hunt writes us as follows : — ' December 10, Since telegraphing onr agent; to inform you that, the ateamrr could not get voder the bridge, and that wo could not procure a coach to carry the mail and passengers on to Hamilton, we have succeeded in obtaining a trap to run up with them, it wilMeave Hamilton at 7 a.m. tomorrow for here, from, this pa-tengers can go on to Mercer, by " Waikato." Will yon ptejec »ake this known through yotir columns Liotubi. — The leoture f iven by the Bey Mr McOray was poorly attended on Thursday pight on account of the severe inclemency of the weather.The leoture was a most excellent one and was greatly appreciated by those present. Mr McCray will hold services "tomorrow at the Indopendent Chapel, Hamilton East at 11 am, and giro an address to the Sunday School at the same pUoe in the afternoon. He will also officiate at the Weilyan Chtpel, Hamilton We*t, >in the evening, the subject of his discourse being " Palestine, Jerusalem, and Ihe Jordan." Da Caer. — From otir Insane correspondent we learn that this pbpular lecturer had full attendances' at Te Awamutu. At Alexandra, it is •aid tUat of the craniums of ttU those examined, the bump of politics though very lampant wat, paradoxically enough, found to be Minn-iuaised to an extraordinary degree, while the greatest number of Cox-combs mAoipulited by iihe Doctor moifc decidedly Was at Hamilton. At Te Awamutu two or three tpecimens tried to gain admiision, but were refused entrance without) payment, and as' the v cou.d not find'the money and nobody " would stand Bam," they had t* go awery again. The remainder were principally of the Uox-a-doodle-do persu.ision and for the most part wore steel spurs, the spurs of the biggest bird among them b^iog silver gilt. Dr Carr leoture* at Cambridge, on Monday, on Tuesday again at Alexandra, and on Thursday at Ngtrmwahia. Probably on his way down he will give Hamilton avis.t. Concert ax Albxandbv. — We wish we had a few more of these sort of things to record. -A' pinch or a poke in th • ribi to keep one from falllag off to sleep at a time when one ought to bs wakeful, is a very good thing in its way, but a vocal %nd instrumental concert, a theatrical entertainment, or better stiU, a dance, where tha music of the violin drowns to all card, except those it is intendod for, the sound of the soft nontonse spjkvn, it a far better antisemnorUL*. Entertainments and concerts ought to be of more common occurrence than they are in places such as the Waikato settlements. They bring friends and neighbour! toge.he *,aff jrda rational evening's amusement, and assist the object for which they are promoted, without really asking anybody anything. The performers readiiy give their time and libjuraud the publio cheerfully hands over its half-crowns, satisfied th it it has done the generous thing and obtained worth for its money at the same time. The people of Alexandra have very pluckily erected a public hall, whiohis more thin the Hauiiltonians, on the western side of the river at least, can say for themselves, and the psople of Alex-indra hare further had the -ptack to make themselves liable for a debt of something like £LOJ on the building. Now what recourse sj legi imate to decrease this debt as lha giving of a voc.il nnd instrumental concert in th) Hill ttforee^id. Th-s the committee have determined to do, aud it wi!l be held on the 20th instant. The consart, toj, will bj followed by a dance, and that the Utter will not be a marj se of qua Inties to be followed by Sir lioger di Cjverly may be juiged from the simple foo note appended to tie adverU*ui3nt, " hor 3 e* miy bo ordered fur (luyli o Lt as usuil." Our Alrfxaiir* frien U oeim tj have a very good notion luw to kejp su;h a thm^ up, aod we wis i tluna every sueo?s boilj sjcidlly and firvarrculljr in the gatliarmg of JljnJay week next.