THE HOSPITAL.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1285, 13 April 1860, Page 2

THE HOSPITAL.

The Provincial Council have a second time declared their opinion that the Hospital ought not to be left at any time without a regularly qualified medical practitioner upon the premises. A resolution to that effect was carried in the last Session, but was treated in the usual manner by the Provincial Government. This Session, another mode of obtaining compliance with the wishes of the Couucil was adopted, which, it is to be presumed, will prove equally ineffective. When the salary of the Provincial Surgeon, £350, was passed, the words "to reside in the Hospital" were added by the Council to the specific purpose uamed by the Superintendent. This, we think, the Council have no power to do; nor do we believe that the Supeunlendent is legally bound to comply with it. By

1 - ' ' " ■* the Constitution, the sole power of naming the specific services to which the revenue is to be applied, remains with the Superintendent. Wo Ijgliove that the Council have no power to afti/- or amend those purposes, directly or indirectly. The Council did so, once before, during Mr. Brown's Superintendency, when they substituted for the item " Auckland City Council, for General purposes, £2000." Superintendent Brown recommended the Council to recommit the estimates, and strike out the added words. The following is an extract from his message on the subject. In the Bill sent down to the Provincial Council, tho 1 6th item, xmder the head Miscellaneous in schedule C, was worded thus : " City of Auckland, £2000." This has been altered by the Provincial Council to " Auckland City Council, for General purposes, £2000 j" — appropriating that sum to a different service, in contravention, as tho Superintendent believes, of tho 25thelause of the Constitution Act, which declares that '• It shall not be lawful for any Provincial Council to pass, or for the Superintendent to assent to, any Bill appropriating any money to tho public service, unless the Superintendent shall first have recommended to tho Council to make provision for the specific service to which such money is appropriated." The Superintendent recommends that the original words " City of Auckland" be restored, in place of tho words " Auckland City Council, for general purposes," and most strongly urges the Provincial Council to adopt his amendment. In the opinion of the Superintendent, tho alteration mado by the Provincial Council is of a substantial nature, diverting the service fioin the City of Auckland to the general purposes of a City Council : under which (speaking in the way of illustration) out of the £2000 appropriated, nearly £1000, aa he is informed, would have to be expended in salaries, while the whole might bo bo disposed of, should such Council think propor, It appears to the Superintendent that even could the dif feient services be considered aB virtually similar — though not the same — the Provincial Council have taken upon themselves to make that moie precise spe cification of Bervice which is withheld from them by tho Constitution Act. The Council modified the words, but did not restore the original. Supt. Brown, very properly, took no further notice of the alteration, treating it as immaterial ; and carried on the city works himself, without allowing the intervention of the City Council. It is true that the present Superintendent protested against this disregard of a proceeding of the Council, and it might be expected, when the Council adopted a similar course towards himself, that he would acknowledge the correctness of what he had formerly so strongly maintained. But it cannot be taken for gianted that he will shew more consistency in this matter than he has done concerning the borrowing of money for public works, against which he used to raise so loud an outcry, even making a hustings promise on the subject, which was broken, as a matter of course. We think that the Council could have taken a better and more effective course, to ensure compliance with their very proper desire in regard to the Hospital. They should have declined to vote the salary of the Provincial Surgeon until the Government had formally engaged that the Surgeon should be required to reside on the premises. It is not even now too late, for estimates can be recommitted before the passing of the Appropriation Bill. But, setting aside all question of resolutions of Council, or of alterations in the specific services to which the money votes are applied, it is surprising that common humanity does not incite the Government to take the initiative in the matter, without pressure from without. How decent attention can be refused, where human life and suffeiing are at stake, we are at a loss to conceive. It is idle to talk of the services of the nurses or of the house-steward as sufficient, — the latter, be it observed en passant, having been engaged for the expr ess purpose (as was admitted in Council) of keeping a sharp eye upon the " medical comforts," i.e. wine, beer, and biandy, which, it appears, had been consumed, not so much by the patients, as by the attendants on the patients. The services of this functionary, however, have, we aie happy to say, been dispensed with by the Council. The whole of the present arrangement is bad. One officer — tbe Provincial Surgeon, is ovei loaded with duty, and is paid a high salary for duties which he does not, and cannot possibly perform efficiently. It is physically impossible that one individual should do the woik required from the Provincial Surgeon, even if, (as he assmedly ought to be), ho weie stiictly prohibited from private practice. He cannot attend efficiently to the Hospital, to the Stockade, to the Gaol, (at a considerable distance from either), to the Lunatic Asylum, pei form the duties of health officer in boarding ships or attending to quarantine, — and pei form the functions of Coroner to boot. When Supeiintendent Blown took office, he found Dr. Davies occupying the position of Provincial Surgeon, at a salary of £400 a year. Colonel Wynyard's Council had perceived the necessity of the Surgeon being either resident in the Hospital, or being close at hand, and made arrangements for building him a house, almost adjoining. Mr. Brown, however, did not carry, out those arrangements, being of opinion that the money could be better spent upon the patients than upon te doctor ; in building new wards — in supplying more beds. Instead of building a house for the Surgeon, he required him to take up his abode in the Hospital. It would have been an advantage, at that time, to have relieved the Surgeon of his out-door duties, and to have reduced the salary proportionately ; but Mr. Brown's Government went on the principle of making as few changes as possible, and of respecting — unless where obliged to alter — the acts and appointments of their predecessors in office. During the term of Dr. Campbells Superintendency, Dr. Davies died, The opportunity of altering the arrangements, now that 10 one could have cause of complaint, was not thrown away. A more efficient service was organized, at less expense. Dr. McGauran was appointed Resident Hospital Surgeon, with charge of the Lunatic Asylum and Stockade, close by, — at a salary of £200, which, with rations, firrwood, and houseroom, was not unreasonably low ; and Dr, Andrews was appointed to visit the Gaol, and to perform the duties of bealth officer, at a salary of £100, whicb made a comfortable addition to his private practice. Thus a saving of £100 was effected for the pi ovince, while all the duties were effectively performed. Of course, the present Superintendent made a point of upsetting the arrangement made by his predecessor in ofice. Whether for the better or not, we leave the public to judge.