The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1889.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2663, 6 August 1889, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1889.

Kqua! and exact justice to all men, t H whatsoever statu or persuasion, religious or political.

]")«. Macouegoi:, the Inspector of liospitals and Chiiritablo Institutions, goers very plainly, in his report (.0 the (Icnoral Assenilily, into all tho olijoctionalilo {'(viturcs of the present system of bestowing State relief to the poor and destitute. He points out the pauperisation that has licen growing to such an extent, and he also doals with the question as one of difficulty between town and country. Owing to the attractions of Uie towns the unfortunate, idle, and vicious gravitate there from all quarters ; that is the natural tendency oil the existing state of society. On the. other hand, the country and pastoral districts are. 1 heavily mulcted by itinerant swagHors whose homos are in the towns. ?.)r. Macgregor goes into this question of '.settlement and residence and gives illustrations of fchemanner in which it is dealt with in other coimtri'-s. Nothing, lie says, but the tax-gatherer at the door will make tlie towns organise themselves to stamp out tho professional pauper—by separating, on full and discriminating inquirv, tho sheep from tho goats, tho observing from tho undesorving poor. This must bo done before the towns have become too largo to copo with the evil. Tho principle of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Bill, introduced by the Government this session, is largely based upon Dr. Maogregor's report. He advocates tho cessation of State contributions from the Consolidated Fund, and the establishment of pauper farms, and that each district should provide i'or the relief of its own poor. Authorities aro quoted in support of this method of providing for tho requirements of charitable aid. One is an extract from the Ohio Board of State charities, as follows :

—" We believe it would be wise to put a stop to all out-door relief in cities, leaving the care of those needing aid to private charities. This experiment has been tried in the Cities of Buffalo, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and other places, with entire success, and is found to furnish more ample relief to the deserving poor, while it saves a largo amount to the taxpayers. Outside of the cities, in the villages and country districts, we think it would be wise to require each township to provide necessary outdoor relict for its own poor. This will secure a more careful investigation of all eases presented for relief, as well as greater economy." He also quotes the Ontario System which he thinks more suitable for the circumstances of this colony. Its principle is to <-.-ot over the dilHculty between town and country by State payments of •20 cents, a day for each bond fide hospital case treated; payments of 7 cents, a day for chronic cases unsuitable for Hospital patients. To meet the case of small hospitals where this rate of payment would not be sufficient, a supplementary allowance is made of not more than

one-fourth of the revenue from all local sources. -For benevolent homes or refuges for indoor poor the rate of payment by the State is 5 cents pothead pr>r day, with a supplementary aid of 2 cents per day. All other costs of caring for paupers, whether in refuges or hospitals, is borne by the local bodies.

In looking over Dr. Macgrcgor's report of lii.s inspection of the different institutions in the colony, wo gloan the following remarks in reference to the Waikato Hospital. The total collective clays' stay in the hospital of all the patients received during the year was 2,C70 ; the individual average stay was 32.56' days. The average daily cost per patient was 11s ■Id, or, deducting repayments by patients, 10s 3-Jd. He thus alludes to the institution generally : " The new Hospital consists of two welldesigned wards, with the necessary bath-rooii! and closet accommodation. A fine operating-room, well fitted up, occupies the central position in front, and separated from it by an Bft. passage are n suitable dispensary avid ward-kitchen. The whole i.s very suitable for. its purpose, the only drawback being that no front-entrance is provided. So long as the. approach is through the passage from the old Hospital this does not matter, but it will be inconvenient by-aud-bye. There is no provision for nurses'rooms ; probably the ward-kitchen will be used for this purpose. The drainage and ventilation have been carefully attended to by Dr. Kenny, and indeed the whole structure is very creditable to him and to the trustees. The management of this Hospital is satisfactory in every respect,"