THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 1888.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9084, 19 June 1888, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 1888.

At the meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board last night, as will be seen by report in another column, the Board took into consideration the serious charges laid by Dr. Macgregor, Inspector of Lunatic Asylums, against the Charitable Aid Boards of the colony, in his annual report recently laid upon the tables of the two Houses of Parliament The words used by Dr. Macgregor were that "since the burden of charitable institutions and hospitals was laid on the local bodies, a very marked tendency has developed itself

to shunt into the Lunatic Asylums as many as possible of the old and helpless persons who are accumulating in the local charities;" and, further, "Aged and helpless people who have no one to look after them, and nowhere to go, having been already got rid of by the local charities under the cover of two medical certificates." These charges the Charitable Aid Board repudiated, and passed a resolution to the effect that Dr. Macgregor be asked if his charge applied to the Auckland Board, and that he should be invited to give particulars. There can be no doubt that whether rightly or wrongly the Inspector of Lunatic Asylums did refer to the case of Auckland, for the only specific illustration given by him is introduced in the words : " The following letter from the Resident Magistrate at Auckland illustrates in a very practical way the difficulty I am dealing with." Of the fact, therefore, that Dr. Macgregor had the Auckland Charitable Aid Board in view there can be no doubt

For some time we have been calling attention to instances in which persons have been sentenced to periods of imprisonment for having "no lawful visible means of support," when those persons, instead of being sent to gaol as criminals, ought to have been taken care of in a properly-organised Refuge. But they could not be sent to the Refuge as it was full, and neither the building nor the attendance was suitable for them. It should be unnecessary to remind the -Board also of the remarkable letter from Colonel Haultain, published some time ago in the columns of the Herald, in which that gentleman, as an official, charged with tho oversight of our Asylum, denounced in unmeasured terms the conduct of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board in this very thing, alleging that there are over eighty people illegally confined in our local lunatic asylum, who are dangerous neither to themselves nor others ; and who should be simply the recipients of charitable care and tending. The members and officers of the Auckland Board deny any knowledge of any such cases having occurred here since the institution of tho Board, from which we infer that the defence intended by the Board is that they have not " got rid of cases " by "shunting" them over on the Asylum ; in other words, that they have not directly cleared out cases from the Refuge and passed them into the Asylum. Now before coming to the more minute consideration of specific cases, we might state that the actual sending of inmates of the Refuge to l)e inmates of the Asylum would scarcely bo considered as necessary to establish the grave charge made by Dr. Macgrogor. Two or three cases that have occurred within the last few weeks in which the Gaol, not the Asylum, was the victim of this procedure of shunting charity cases, may illustrate what is apparently meant by Dr. Macgtegor. In these cases old men were brought before the Bench charged with having no lawful visible means of support. One of them was so old and feeble that he had to be helped into tho dock. It was stated at the time that they were properly cases for the Old Men's Refuge, but that inquiry had been made and the answer been received that the Refuges were too crowded, so that the decrepit old men could not be received, and in mercy the Bench sentenced these old men to long terms of imprisonment with hard labour at Mount Eden, that they might be fed .and sheltered from the inclemency of the weather. As respects the Asylum, it is the same cause apparently that is operating as in the cases sent to the Gaol, only that those interested in the case of aged imbeciles suffering from senile decay—knowing that the Refuges are overcrowded, and that it would be idle to seek admission there, and that oven if admitted, these helpless old people could not be properly looked after, owing to the Charitable Aid Board not providing proper appliances for dealing with such cases —have taken the simpler course of having these aged imbeciles certified to as being afflicted with " dementia," and having them shut up in the Lunatic Asylum. Indeed, we might give as a case in point, one that caused a good deal of comment in Auckland some months ago —that of a man holding Her Majesty's commission as a Magistrate of the territory, and who had formerly occupied a good position, but who, by ago and poverty, had been reduced to imbecility, and though perfectly harmless, was sent to tho Asylum, whore he died, having often pitifully said to those who came to visit him, "Ah ! why did they send me to this place to die V

But as the Chai'itable Aid Board may be more interested in specific cases illustrating the position than in the goneral charge of want of accommodation at the Refuges, crowding the Gaol and Lunatic Asylum, we may, from information in our possession, direct the attention of the Board to a few cases among the inmates of the Asylum, and on these the members may engage themselves while awaiting fuller information from Dr. Macgregor : —A man of 83 years, suffering from senile dementia, caused by senile decay, received last year into the Asylum from the Refuge ; a man of 65 years, suffering from dementia and paralysis, from senile decay, received lost year from the Refuge ; a man of 35 years, suffering from dementia caused by epilepsy, received lost year from the Hospital; a woman of 85 years, suffering from senile dementia caused by senile decay, received last year from the Refuge. These may sufiice for the present, but the Board can, if it pleases, pursue its enquiries into the long list cited by Colonel Haultiiin, and which is catalogued under senile dementia —commonly known, as dotage—dementia with paralysis, congenital imbecility, epileptic idiotcy, and the various other designations under which the helpless, the harmless, and the feeble are described.

We are quite prepared to make all clue allowance for the position of the Charitable Aid Board. They are appointed to see that the poor and helpless are taken care of, and also they are the natural guardians of the interests of those who pay the heavy local rates. They must take care that the ratepayers of this district are not unduly burdened, and that the Government does not cast on the local rates costs that they ought to bear, and which ia

other parts of the colony they do bear. But they must remember that it ia gross cruelty if helpless old people, who ought simply to be in a refuge, are sent to an Asylum, for these are perhaps the very persons who feel most keenly the torture of being herded with lunatics. The Costley bequest was not in any way intended to relieve the general Government of any expense properly falling upon it, but it certainly was intended to be a benefit to poor old people who have failed to make any provision for helpless old age. It is not creditable to Auckland that, having the advantage of such a magnificent bequest as that of Mr. Costley, it should have worse provision for the care of the old and infirm than any other place in the colony, and should be specially indicated by the Inspector of Asylums as failing in its duty.

The sayings and doings of the new Emperor, William of Germany, will be generally followed with deep interest, and even anxiety, owing to the critical condition of Europe. Too much importance, therefore, may be attached to statements made by him, perhaps without any intention of their bearing the grave construction that will be given to them. Such possibly may be the words of the manifesto which he has issued to the German army, and which are furnished to us by cable, as appearing in another column. In that address he states that he steps with confidence into the place rendered vacant by the will of God, and calls upon the army to be steadfast and strong ; and he adds the significant words, " I and the army belong each to the other ; we are born of one another, and will stand together in peace or storm." There is something in the ring of this very warlike, not to say irreverent, and savouring rather of the unfilial ; although it may be that in the context the _ seeming brusquerie of his reference to his father's death may have been somewhat mollified. But when we take into account the very general recognition of the fact that the change on the throne of Germany is a total change of policy, we cannot conceal from ourselves that there is .something very significant in the implication that the Supreme Ruler had cleared the way for the new Emperor to inaugurate a more vigorous and decisive policy. Such addresses to the army are of course of the programme, in the case of a new ruler in continental and especially military nations, coming into power; and a certain grandiloquence of language is usually characteristic of sucli pronunciamentos ; but it must be owned that words so striking as these are only too much what we should take to be the fitting prelude to a declaration that Germany must know the cause of those mobilisations of forces on her frontiers which have kept the German army and people in a condition of wakefulness and unrest that is more unendurable than war itself.

An examination of the late Kaiser's throat shows clearly that cancer existed, notwithstanding the denials of his medical attendants during life that that fatal disease had found a lodgment. Some touching incidents of the Emperor's last moments continue to be narrated. The Emperor William lias lost no time in asserting him self. He has issued an address to the ariny breathing a very pronounced military tone, which the whole of the European press comment upon as a bad augury for the maintenance of peace. His hostility to the press ie manifested in his desire to exclude newspaper correspondents from his father's funeral. In this he is following in the footsteps of Prince Bismai-ck, whose opinion is on record that the art of printing is the greatest curse that has fallen upon tho world, and whose detestation ot newspapers is Avell known.

Among the passengers who left Auckland yesterday by tlie mail steamer for America, en route for England, were Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Rees. Mr. Rees goes home in connection with tbo New Zealand Native Land Settlement Company, for the purpose of bringing immigrants to large blocks of land on the East Coast. He is amply furnished with credentials from the Trades and Labour Council and kindred societies here to similar institutions in England, and expects that his mission will be very successful. He expects to be absent for about six months.

This afternoon a meeting of the Harbour Board will be held to elect a chnirman in terms of section 53 of the Harbours Act, 1878, in the place of Mr. W. R. Waddel, deceased. Mr. McKenziewill move, "That the application made by Mr. George Fraser for an inquiry into certain circumstances connected with the opening of Calliope Dock, contained in his letters dated 21st May and 4th June, be granted."

The Supreme Court was occupied the whole of yesterday in hearing a case of conspiracy preferred against David Aaher and Pine Awanui in regard to the purchase of a block of land at Tauranga. There was a very strong bar, Mr. Button appearing with the Crown Prosecutor, Mr. Hudson Williamson, for tho prosecution, and Mr. E. Hesketh for Asher, Mr. Humphreys for Pine Awanui. The latter, on the advice of his solicitor, pleaded guilty, stating that he had been led by Ashor, and Asher pleaded not guilty. The case is a peculiar one, as will be seen from the details published elsewhere. The Government desired to secure tho Papamoa block at Tauranga, and Asher, who had married into the tribe, being brother-in-law to the chief Pine Awanui, was instructed to obtain the signatures of tho grantees or owners at £5 a-head. Somo of the grantees were dead, and the allegation is that other natives were brought up to personate those in order to obtain the purchase money and the £5 bonus for Asher. A good deal of evidence was taken, and after it became too dark to proceed further, the Court adjourned until this morning. There are still a largo number of native witnesses to bo examined, and the case will probably last all day.

The case of tho boy Chadwick, formerly an inmate of the Industrial School, who sued a farmer named Wylie for wrongfully detaining his earnings, was heard at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Papakura, when tho verdict was given in favour of the boy, with heavy costs against his former employer. In our comments on the case, which appeared in our issue of last Friday, we inadvertently referred to the employer as a gettfer in tho Papakura district. As a matter of fact, the defendant in the case has been farming for many years in the Pukekohe district, and it was in that district that tho boy was defrauded by his supposed protector and employer, Hugh Wylio, of his earnings.

The opening meeting of the Auckland Savage Club, which has been recently formed (under the patronage of His Excellency Sir W. F. D. Jervois), for the development of artistic talent and the promotion of good fellowship and rational amusement, was hold in the large club-room, New Zealand Insurance Buildings, last night, and was largoly attended. The Rev. D. Bruce occupied the chair. A first-class programme was rendered, and a very enjoyable smoke evening spent. The officers of H.M.'s. Egeria were the club's guests on this occasion. The next meeting of the club will take place on Monday, June 25.

A correspondence has started in the Dunedin papers on the evils of rinking. It originated in a sermon preached by the Rev. Mr. Fitchett, in which he denounced "rink mania." Some of the objections are very funny : " Instead of attending to her home duties and helping to keep the house in order., the young lady goes to the rink night after night, and the poor mother has to suffer both in health and pocket."" The young gentlemen skates himself into a shadow of his former self." "Owing to the construction of the roller-skate it is likely to produce bunchy and loose-jointed knees and ankles, and consequently an ungraceful carriage."

Mr Baddeley, R.M., again did good *«• vice to good morals yesterday E?' sentencing a couple of foul-mouthed women called ifaughton and Bickerton X have been keeping a house of m.fktne n Grey-street, to terms of imprison? The case was proved by Servant vr i and Detective McGrath, Ind If TeirS? mony is correct the language used by th women was, as Mr. Baddeley designatedT -;' horrible" in the extreme, and unbelievable m regard to filth. Subsequently three,3 the children of the woman Naur,ht on Catherine (aged 10 years and 5 monthsT Ellen (aged 8 years and 7 months) and Elizabeth (aged 6 years and 8 months!-, were sent to the Industrial School KohT marama, till they are 15 years ot a« e on the application of the police. ' Yesterday evening as the mail steamer was just about to cast off from the wharf some little excitement was caused by th ' serving of a speedy summons upon a pas senger named Desborough, by a sheriffs officer. A rath or lengthy altercation ensued between the two parties, as the gentle man to whom the unwelcome missive w )U handed, strenuously contended that the alleged debt, the claim for which ho vw thus inopportunely called upon to answer was not owing by him, and was merely a disputed balance of an account. He had however, to succumb to the inexorable d«! crees of the law, and reluctantly came" ashore, bringing his luggage with him.

A house in Hepburn-street has been temporarily secured as a home by the Sisters of the Poor who are now in Auckland, and in a few days they will be ready to commence the work of their mission; bub for tho E resent they will bo able to receive in tho ome only a limited number of those ia need, as they must necessarily begin in a humble way. It is hoped, however, thnta-a tho object of the organisation becomes more fully known, the scope of their v/ork will ba very much enlarged. The sisters have «1. ready commenced a canvass on behalf of tha institution.

There was a case, Maxwell v. the National Bank of New Zealand for £360, amount of a cheque marked by the bank as good for a month, set down for hearing at tho ensuing civil sittings of the Supreme Court. Tho case is, we understand, settled, the bank paying the plaintiff £355, and £20 costs.

In hia address some time ago, on the study of English literature, Mr. John Morloy stated that the average issue of novels in English libraries was about 70 per cent, of the whole. In Scotland they have a better average in respect to prose fiction. The Aberdeen report shows that the percentage of novels issued there is 56.

In replying to the toast of his health at a banquet given to him in London on April 23 Sir John Pender, chairman of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, made a very instructive speech. He said that ic was little more than 21 years since yciontific men had declared submarine telegraphy to be practicable, and now something liko 40 millions sterling was invested in submarine telegraphic undertakings, while the vast commerce of the Empire, involving no less a sum than a thousand millions sterling per annum, was daily influenced and controlled by cable communication. They had not yet girdled the world to the letter becauso it wouid not pay, but if necessary they were prepared to do 80 to morrow. Speaking of the colonies, he said telegraphy was playing an imuortant part in their development by quickening emigration. Probably nothing retarded emigration more than the feeling of regret at leaving the old home and the old country. But when emigrants knew that, through the Press, they would be able to ascertain what was going on at? home, and all about the old surroundings, while those left behind would know that they would be made acquainted, almost from day to day, if not from hour to hour, with what was taking place at the new homes of the emigrants, the surplus population of this country would brace themselves up to leave the Mother Country, aud go to lands where they would have elbow room and a chance in life. That consideration was of great importance to England at the present time, and of enormous importance in the future, because such emigration would create an England abroad—a people that would always be loyal to the Old Country.

At a meeting of the creditors of Mrs. Wrigg, bankrupt, yesterday morning, the following resolution was passed .- —" Thafc the estate be wound up forthwith, and that the Official Assignee facilitate tho debtor's discharge."

The young ladie3 connected with tho Young Women's Christian Association kindly gave the inmates of tho Lower Refuge a sumptuous tea on Saturday evening. Singing and recitations were given by the young ladies, and a pleasant evening was spent by the inmates.

A lecture on the subject, " The Realms of Imagination," was delivered before the Auckland Institute by the Rev. E. H. Gulliver yesterday evening, Professor Thomas in the chair. Mr. Gulliver referred to the difficulty under which he laboured, having chosen as his subject '' The Realms of Imagination." He intended that evening to give a simpla chapter from a somewhat dry subject—that) of mental science, which was a quosiscience because its field of research was narroAved in a peculiar way. The lecturer quoted Dugald Stewart's definition of imagination, and passed on to pourtray, in a vivid piece of word-painting, the thoughts called up in the mind of the modern stranger standing in the cities of Athens, Rome, and Ponipeii. They could see the marvellous influences and effects of imagination, but when they attempted to discover what it really was, they were baffled—the faculty was inconceivable. Imagination had, in the first; place, the power of combining from the things of memory, and secondly that of insight, or penetrating below the surface of things. Poesy and music were alluded to ns amongst tho richest of the fields of imagination, and the speaker further pointed that, in the domain of science, the very headquarters of hard-headedness, they found imagination running rampant. Air. Gulliver referred to the influence of Napoleon, " the greatest world-shaker of the age," for whom he claimed the power of a marvellous imagination. He urged that the imagination of children should be fed; things were as a rule regarded iu a matter-of-fact light nowadays, and the fairy tales were banished. A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Gulliver at the close of the lecture.

In reference to the cures performed by Madame Duflot in her "golden chariot, Mr. Rubie has called on us to tell how completely his deaf ness has been cured. Before the operation performed by Madam Dutlot on Friday, of which a description was given in Saturday's issue, Mr. Rubie says he could only hear when people spoke loudly in his ear. Now he can hear quite plainly, although not quite so well as other people, as hie ears are still stuffed with cotton wadding. He is immensely delighted at this, as ho says he has paid no less than £17 to various doctors without deriving the slightest benefit. One well-known doctor tola him he did not think he could do anything for him, but he would try an experiment for five guineas. This offer Air. Rubie refused. "During the operation on Friday," he says, "I felt no pain whatever. She's a most generous woman. I went up to the Star Hotel next morning, and she said she had more medicine for me. She asked me if I was nctj and had plenty of money to pay. I tow her I had plenty once, but I had lost it an by speculating in the mines, and now I was poor. She was most kind, and when I tola her this she gave me 30s besides the medicine." Some person in the crowd on Saturday was heard to say that Mr. Rubie was as bad as ever next day, and people had to shout into his ear to make him hear. Wuen this was mentioned Mr. Rubie said it was quite untrue, he had been able to bear easily ever since the operation. In speaking to us he had no difficulty in hearing ordinary conversation, and the best testimony to the cure was the happy expression on his face. He looked in as good spirits as if he had just recovered his raw fortune. t . Yesterday evening a series ofssP ort extend over tho present week, was inaug rated at tho Columbia Rink. A mile raw brought out five competitors, and ait" good contest was won by J. Joffnee, «££ Holland a close second. A football maten on skates succeeded, and was entered inw with great zest by teams of Mven_aafle. whose grotesque attitudes and frequoi tumbles!* they essayed to catch or kick thj bounding ball caused great "»«'"**, among the numerous onlooker*. The gam terminated in, favour of "2 who scored five goals to their opponent

Uearly every person (eays the Christchurch Telegraph) who speaks of the escaped convict Roberts hopes he may geb clear, and strange are the things which gome confess they would not mind doing io give him a lift along. With such sympathy for the accused ib is no wonder that the police can find no trace of him,

At the Salvation Army Barracks, yesterday evening, a large number of officers, including Colonel and Mrs. Taylor, Major Lovelock, Captains Cutler, Sutton, Bernard, Ramsay, Gibson, and others from country stations, were present at a special porvice, when addresses were delivered by several of the lady officers of the Army to a large congregation.

A new season is to be inaugurated at the Opera House, on Monday evening nexb. Wise Amy Vaughan, better known as Miss Aiiuee Thornton—theeldost daughter of Mr. Nevill Thornton, the scenic artist, —and vho has just returned from a professional tour through Victoria, Now South Wales, South Australia, etc., andvvhois very highly epoken of by the Australian press, purposes awning the Opera House. Her sisters, iss May and Daisy, will form part of tho company, which has been carefully selected. Several new facea will make their first bow to an Auckland audience on the opening night.

Last evening a grand panorama was exhibited in the Ponsonby Hall, to the delight of a lnrge audience. Some tine views of the Hot Lakes district were shown, and transparencies of the lato Kaiser, his widow tho Empress Victoria, the young Emperor William, and his young son, the hrir apparent to the German throne, wore also displayed, while somo comic views and n waterfall scene at the close of the performance caused great glee among tho younger portion cf the audience. St. Matthew's gift auction was brought io a close laab night. After a very fair amount of trade in tho wares exhibited during the day, an auction sale was hold in the evening by Mr. D. F. Evans, at which tho balance of goods was disposed of at such prices ae they would fetch. Tho gift Ruction as a whole was a success, and the proceeds should prove a substantial addition to the church fund.

Professor Herbert, the conjurer, who has returned from a trip to Fiji and Now Caledonia, will open for a season of three nights in Abbott's o{>era House, beginning next Thursday. Professor Herbert ie a clevor Illusionist, and as the prices of admission are very low. the Opera House ought to bo well rilled while he occupies the boards.

The monthly meeting of the Couucil of the Auckland University College was fixed to take place yesterday, but; lapsed, there Cot being a quorum present.

The following is the state of Her Majesty's firi.*oiv, Auckland, for the week ending Juno 6th, ISSS : —On remand, 6 males ; awaiting trial, 1 male : boys, 4: penal servitude, 4,' i raaloe, 3 females; hard labour, 112 maled, '23 females ; imprisonment, 1 male ; default cf bail, 15 males, 1 female; debtors, 1 male ; recoived during the week, '20 m.iles, 4 females ; discharged, IS males, 4 females ; total in prison : IS3 males, 27 female*.

Mr. Gabriel Lewis will offer by auction today, at two p.m., a handsome selection of real Dresden china, of various lines.

A considerable number of tickets have been disposed of for Messrs. E. aiul A. Aldis's Art Union, which will be drawn shortly. Those iu tending to t-ake tickets should not delay. The following is a list of the titles of all the prizes : — l. Waitakerei Ranges, looking towards the West Coast; 2. \\ hancarei Heads iu.ml Parua Bay; 3. Bush Road, YVaiorongotn:u: 4. River Scene on the Waihon : 5. Entrance to Coromandel Harbour : 6. Maori Putaka near Coromandel; 7. Scene from Driving Creek Bridge, Coromandel; 8. The Waitemata from Pousonby ; 9. Near MahuHea<is; 10. Cottage Scene, England ; 11. Old Scoria-pit, Mount Eden ; 12. The "VValternate, looking towards Birkeuhead : 33. Whangarei Heads from Parua Bay ; 14. Sunset on the Waihou : 15. Creek Scene near Puhoi; 16. Deserted \Vhare, Titirangi : 17. Sunset on Loch Goil, Scotland; IS. West Coast, from Waitakerei Ranges; 19. Bush £\oeue, Waiorongomai; 20. Waterfall, Nihotupu Creek ; 21. Mountain Scene. Waioron<;omai; 22. On the Waihou, near CeAroha; &L Wairoa River, South; 34. Bush Scene, Maketu ; 25. Lake Takapuna : 26. Manukau Harbour from Titirangi : '27. Bush Scene, Swauson ; 28. View on the Waitemata ; 20. Bearboroueh Castle, England; 30. Shelly Be-ach and Auckland Harbour 31. Maeefield's Point, Waitemata ; 32. Sunset from Kohimarama; 33. Scene near Mahurangi ; j>4 Scene from Ponsonbv : 35. Coast Scene, Tararu ; 36. Scene at Waihcke ; 37. Cm the Waitemata : 33. English Scene, with Sheep ; 99. The Waitemata from Shoal Bay; 40. Auckland Harbour.