Original Correspondence

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXX, Issue 1514, 17 May 1898, Page 4

Original Correspondence

( We do not identify ourselves with tlie opinions expressed by our correspondents.) TO THE EDITOR. Silt, —In your last issue of the Akgus I notice a letter re Hospital nutters by "Pro Bono Publico," in which he very distinctly hints that the Dr is to blame for the falling off of subscriptions to that institution. Now we all know that Dr Morris holds two public appointments viz., the Hospital and the of Oddfellows, and that the Oddfellows Lodge has steadily increased during his tenure of office ; until now it has twice iO not thrice the membership it had when he took office. How is it then that one institution is flourishing while the other is drooping, if the Dr is all to blame in the matter. Certainly " Pro Bono Publico's" statement that "old contributors absolutely refused to give a subscription unless alterations were made in conducting the Hospital" is very ambiguous, and he may refer to die present Hospital Trust in which case I can quite agree with him as they certainly were very negligent in collecting subscriptions. I myself, though I have always been a contributor, was never onco asked for a subscription last year, and L know of others who have not subscribed for the same reason. 'lhe fact of the subscriptions having fallen off is certainly not the Dr's fault, but is the most natural result caused by the 12£ per cent, collector in the past and the present bad management of the Trustees in collecting at the end, instead of the beginning of the financial year. I decline to make a newspaper the medium of entering into the question of Dr Morris' skill, and here I beg to state my doubts as to the ability of several of the Trustees to in the matter of any Dr's qualification ; bat 1 may safely say that the district is fortunate in having iu Dr Morris a medical man who is skilful and attentive to his patients, and certainly blessed with a little more of the milk of human kindness than some of the members of our present Hospital Trust. In conclusion, I may say, that should the management remiin in the hands of the present Trust, subscriptions will certainly fall off, and a greater display of spite aud vindictiveness will yet take place. There is not the slightest doubt that Mr S. H. Turton, the former chairman, is sadly missed at the present crisis ; had he remained to direct afia?rs, spleen and spite would have been kept iu the back ground. But as the Trust is at preseut illegally composed, one can hardly expect anything else. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.—l am, etc., Vkeax. Cromwell, 14th May, 1898.

TO THE EDITOR Sir, —Your correspondent re Hospital matters " Pro Bono Publico," seems to take a lot of trouble to defend the action of the Hospital Trust iu asking the Doctor to resign. He says the reason why they did so will be brought up at the next meeting. The Trust evidently must have sprung a surprise upon themselves as well as upon the public, by proposing and carrying such an important motion without any notice, and without giving any reason at the time, as it now seems that it will take them about three weeks to hunt up the reason why, and in the meantime, by way of diversiou, they have carried a motion rescinding the motion that they are engaged upon to hunt tip a reason for carrying. " Pro Uono Publico," who is evidently one of the Trust, then say 3 that the Trust lias no need to please the public, only the local bodies and the subscribers having any right to criticise their action, and still, according to his own statement, it is the wishes of some non-subscribers that he consults, in supporting the above hole 1 and corner motion. It is to be hoped that some of the intelligent members on the Trust, (and there are some there) will keep "Pro Bono Publico" from explaining matters unril he gets a lucid interval, for at present it is most difficult to follow him and forbear to smile. " Pro Bono " says that Fair Play should become a subscriber, if he is not one, and he then may possibly be elected a trustee. I am sorry that I am missing such an intellectual treat as to sit with "Pro Bono" on the Trust, but I must really decline to stand an election, even on the chance of acquiring that high social position, so there wilL bo no "fair play" at the election of the Trust, I don't think. Mostly ail the petty elections are run by cliques, the leaders of which are sometimes seen raking the social gutter for supporters, for the sole object to get themselves returned to fill positions that nature never intended them to occupy. Thanking "Pro Bono" for his good advice, still [ beg again to decline, and just by way of return make the suggestion that ic is just possible that the fact thac the public does not subscribe, perhaps dates back a few years, when 120 of the subscribers called on some of the sit-fasts of the Trust to resign (I have an idea " Pro Bono" was there at the time), and their demand was met with scorn. Whichever way the Trust will attempt to screen their action, they will find that public opinion will always be on the side of Fair Play. Lowburn, 14th May, 1898.

TO THE KDITOH Sir, Having collected for the Hospital on Quartz-reef Point for the past two years, [ feel it my duty on reading '* Pro Bono Publico's" letter in your last issue, to state what I consider to be the cause of the falling off in subscriptions. That is, firstly—the hard times, accentuated this year by the J übilee holiday ; and secondly the Hospital Trust. When the matter of giving resolves itself, as in the case of married folks, into a question of Hospital or shoes and stockings for the children ; or as in the case of those still dwelling in single wretchedness into one of honesty or generosity, there can only be one reply to it. The miner is as generous to-day as he ever was, but the precious metal is by no means so much in evidence as in the good old times. The other reasons quoted by "Pro Bono Publico" are simply poor excuses made by those who wish to hide their meanness ; and the same persons who have not subscribed because of the 12 per cent, deduction, or won't subscribe till alterations be made in conducting the Hospital, will no more subscribe for equally valid reasons on next occasion. Secondly, the Hospital Trust : Let it inquire into its own conduct in the matter of Hospital finai'ce, and ask itself if it has exhausted all popular methods of appeal to the public for raising money for the Hospital. 1 trow not, and 1 believe I express public opinion in the matter by characterising their conduct of Hospital finance as sleepy. Dr Morris is highly esteemed by the residents of Quartz-reef Point, both professionally and as a gentleman, and they regard the present action of the Hospital Trustees as not in the interests of the public; while subscribers among them await with considerable interest, more light on the subject.—l am, etc., Collector, Quartz-reef Point, 16th May.