Dunedin Gossip.

Cromwell Argus, 6 March 1905, Page 5

Dunedin Gossip.

Dunedin, March 3. . What appears to havo been an attempt to work up a so-called hospital scandal lias fallen very flat. ADr I. Uunter ">rofcj to the ttuspital Trustees some months ago making some complaints, also some recommendations. The Trustees replied, acknowledging receipt of tho letter and adding that the matters montioned therein would receive atteim tion in duo course. This did not satisfy the Dr and he resorted to the Press. His charges appear to have been—l That the relations between two members of the honorary staff were of a unique kind. 2 That at loast oae of the staff sent his assistant to do somo work at the hospital. 3 That one of tho warders preformed surgical operations. The Trustees ignored the letter in the Press and were taken to fc.sk for so doing. They then woakly referred the letter to the honorary stall, and the bubble was at once pricked. As for the public, beyond asking who this Dr Uunter was, they took no notice. Well, as to Dr Uunter. he may be a t-emus, but he is best known through some connection with the Rugby Union, ii,d a seeming desire to disqualify persons for life whose actions he did not approve of. Whether tho fact that, he was not re-appointed to the honorary staff any .earing on his attitude towards tho hospital who cau say. But when Dr Uunter seeks to make out, by tuueudo, that there is something wrong because l>r Batchelor and his uon, L»r Stanley Batchelor are members of the Btaff, tho erieral public simply latiKh. There is o medical man in Dunedin who has .one more to brimt the hospital up to lata than Dr Batchelor. It is safe to say (hat whether the staff be elected by opular vote, by tho Trustees, or by ..edical men only, Dr Batchelor would jurae out on top every time. Dr Lindo Ferguson is evidently alluded to in th* matter of sending his assistant to do work .t the hospital. Now Dr Lindo Ferguson is a specialist, whose services are in re» quest from the North Cape to the Bluff. For years upon yearß he has givon his valuable services and his skill to the poor in the hospital free of charge. There is many a poor person who has cause to bless hiß skill, flis private business is so extensi/6 that he has to engage a qualified assistant. Does anjone think for a moment that he should drop a private patient and run off to the hospital leavim the paying patient to the assistant.' Of course not. * But it can safely be asserted j hat no serious case in the hospital would ; tio without his personal attention, eveu it : ho had to put off his less urgent privatt cases. Tc call what the warder does an

peration ia lo misuse the term. The medical staff readily admit that he itmore of an adept at it than nine-tenth' of the profession. Tho Trustees are oody of men who have devoted muc time and attention to the administraiioi of hospital alLurs, narrowly watching the expenditure the funds raised from properly owners, whilo at the same timt triving incessantly to perfect tho arrange metits at the hospital. It would bo the basest ingratitude if, becaußo a mediea. man whose plumasjo ia ruffled because he is not kept on the staff chooses to write pointing out the spots on the sun, these wore taken to task for not dancing to this Or's piping. Fortunately tho bulk of the public do not care to bo led by the nose into believing that those who have sorvod thorn so long and faithfully aro given to robbery.

The shareholders of tho defunct Colonial Bank have for some years endeavored to get a statement as to the tinal winding up, and aa they were able to show that according to the documents something approaching a quarter of a million had disappeared from their ken, they had a strong case. The report of the Official Assigneo, who had the task of cloaing tho accounts put on his hands has now been published, but it cannot be said that tho shareholders are much the wisor, and certainly they aro no better off. VVheu tho bank's business was disposed of to tho Bank of New Zealand the assets were Hot down at £508,952, including the amount to bo paid for goodwill. From this had to bo deducted £102,271, the amount in tho D list, that is inoperative accounts. Then tho purchasing bank insisted on £327,300 being placod aa » reserve against tho B and C lists. The purchasing bank thon paid £133,000 in cash. From this had to bo deducted sums due as salary to the officers of the Colonial Bank, the costs of liquidation, law costs, &c, leaving £111,454 for distribution among shareholders. The shareholder never expected much from the C list, the Farmers' Association, but from tin statements in court of the chairman oi directors and the general manager it wat anticipated that there would be something from the D list, and a good deal from the reserve hold against the B list. But nothing came. The loss on the B C and D lists was £432,003. Now what the shareholders particularly wanted to know was as to tho manner in which thw loss was made, and who got the benefit of the largo writings off that had evidently •aken place. On that point -the report contains not a work. The C list, as will bo remembered, was that of the Warci Farmers' Association and its chairman. It is only simple justice to say that so far aB can be seen had operations been carried on prudently instead of the concern being suddenly brought to a standstill and realisation forced, there would have been littlo or no loss. This shows the soundness of Sir J. G. Ward's calculations, but it does not in the least do away with tho folly of the bank directors in allowing a single concern to get so deeply into its books. Except, therefore, that it corroborates the statements made oy Sir Joseph it ia a pity that this report was ever insisted on. it has not probed into the things which shareholders de« sired Lo probo iuto, yet it has revived bitter memories that were being smoothed over by time.

The Drainage Board haa at last como to a conclusion aa to the sewage outfall. The engineer haa never abandoned hope that by some moai>3 or other permission would bo got to proceed with his Bird Island scheme, aud Dr (Joughtrey has aUo kept sanguiuo on this point. But a majority of the Board decided that to attempt to cajole the Premier was useless, and to attempt to frighten him worse than useless. The next (luostion is to raise tho money to proceed with the new outfall, the cost of which is an unknown quantity, dospito tho estimates of tho euginocr and tho present chairman of works. A good system of drainage and Beworago is a necessity, but it is one that costs a groat deal of money.

Our Harbour Board had up at the last mooting a report by .the ungincor as to improvements in tho Bteamor's basin, principally iuoroaaod wharfage. Tho idea put forward may bo tho only possible one, but to ono who makes no pretention to any expert knowlodgo, it seems like speeding a lot of money to produce buji little roault. Briefly, tho wharf proposal appears to bo to demolish tho preaoni; tanguo wharf and build a, ujoro elaborate aud much largor tongue

wharf in another place. At the moat this chance appears to give additional berth, and if the present tongue wharf is awkward to yet away from, iho new tongue wharf would bo doubly awkward. There would be no room for a ateanier to 3wins.', and if all theborths wore occupied, and tho steamer having the inner berth was the first to leavo alio would have to back out in the narrow apace left with other stoamers uii oach side of her. But what a strange comment try tho whole thing ia on the business capacity of th > Hoard. Tho tongue wharf it is auggoßted should bn deinolialied is the Idlest addi~ tion to our wharfs. And it is proposed to replace it by a eLructuro on tho same principal, but in a still more disadvantageous positiou, and it of such a substantial nature that should it be deemed uecessary *o do away with it the cost of demolishing it would be as great almost as the coat of constructing it.

It is possible, but hardly probable, that tho Mayor of Dunedin may make false prophets of those who venture to think that his term of office would expire oro his Otago League was in actual existance. Ilia worship has again experienced a period of activity, and a draft of the constitution haa boon published. Tho objects of tho League aro said to be to promote and assist public movements lor the development of tho interests oi Otago. Theao include whatever affects its commerce, manufactures, shipping, farming and pastoral intoroats, land settlement, luiniug, railways and cduoa-. tion. This, it will bo admit Lcd, is a fairly largo order, and it ia evident that tho gentlemen to constitute tho executive will havo no sinecure if tho League is to he in any way an active force. Our experience of Leagues in tho past is not such as to lead one to bo Banguino oi the success of the one now proposed. That, however, is only ouo more reason why those who take up the project should work all the harder and make a success despite the fears of the timid.