THE CHILDREN'S WARDS.

Evening Star, Issue 14529, 31 March 1911, Page 6

THE CHILDREN'S WARDS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I read in your issue of the 29th inst. a column headed 'The Children's Wards,' and in it a curious and a so-to-speak posthumous letter. Dr Ferguson, just before leaving, unbosomed himself in tho interests of Dr Batchelor and history, or what lip is pleased to call history. The letter is a largish one, and amounts to this : 1. Dr Batchelor once collected a sum of money, and on a. certain agreement—viz., that tho gynecological eases would be provided for in the new block till a special ward could be built for them—handed his money into tho general funds of the Board. 2. Certain other people collected money | for children's wards, and handed it over for that specific purpose. Tho children's I waids were built, and then tho Board handed over half the accommodation to Drs Batchelor and Ferguson leaving tho children .'is badly oil as before—-all this ' without reference to the donors of tho money. Dr Ferguson seems to think this equitable—a ease- of priority of mortgage. A pretty case of Dunedin Hospital staff ethics and logic. If the two cases were analogous, it would bo a case of robbing Peter to jiay Paul. But thero is no proof in Dr Ferguson's letter that the Trustees did break faith with Dr Batehelor, and it is certain they did break faith with tho donors of tho children's wards. After tho way tho Hospital Trustees in the past have tempered tho wind to the shorn lambs of their staff I consider this letter a most ungrateful one. If it wero not for tho delightful complacency of tlioso lines where "ho is not sorry," etc., I could wish it had never been written. That was lovely. The plain truth in tho matter is : 1. That tho Hospital Board have never been celebrated for "that tinability of principle, that chastity of honor, which felt a stain like a wound." 2. That at the time when the children's wards were built Dr Batchelor had such aai influence with the Trustees that the latter were, in tho words of your leading article, " guilty of a betrayal of trust and of a malversation, of public money." It is a curious fact, sir, that sinco Dr Brown's letter called forth your leading article all sorts of gentlemen have suddenly becomo aware of tho prevalence of a widespread feeling that the time has now arrived—blessed, blessed pkraec! a charlatan's very summer house—when tho children should enter into their kingdom. You, Mr Editor, are to bo congratulated now at tho sowing, and I am sure you will keep a watchful eye on this field and in the harvest home.—l ajn, etc., Irwin Hunter. March 30.