A SHARP HOSPITAL SECRETARY.

NZ Truth, Issue 137, 1 February 1908, Page 6

A SHARP HOSPITAL SECRETARY.

Mr. fifulisli Miller's Capers. Bumptious bounder Miller, who, m his well-paid capacity of secretary, helps to run Christchurch Hospital, has had public attention drawn to his dubious methods as well as being snubbed all round for a most callous act as regards a very sick man. It was a most impudent and, reprehensible piece of business, deserving' of the severest censure. Miller took it upon himself to make a new regulation regarding the admission of 'patients without the knowledge of the chairman or other members of . the Hospital Board, and lie is now lfeartily sorry he spoke. The plain facts are that Mr John DeEarneste arrived at Christchurch from Kaipara (Auckland) recently, and put up with some friends. Shortly after his arrival he was. taken very ill, and he was ordered to the .hospital. As Mr Earneste is 73 years of age, and his illness was severe, it- can be imagined how critical his, condition was. A friend of his, Mr Bax, took the doctor's ' letter to the hospital, and found, to his surprise, that as De Earneste had come from another district he would have to £10 as a guarantee that the hospital fees would be paid. No one ever heard of this preposterous regulation before ; booby Miller, had made it on his own initiative. It appears that the Dunedin . Hospital Board, or some such institution m the Old Highland city, had charged a patient similarly, ■ and Mulish Miller I thought it an excellent scheme. So ; Mr Bax- had to scurry off and find the ten quid deposit while the patient was lying at 'Opawa m great agony. Well, the money was, secured all right, and Bax once again made his way to the hospital, where a -haughty cove named Dr. Wither^ was on hand. '•'Oh, here's the individual, with the money, Dr. Withers." "All right, tell him to bring the man m this afternoon." So tlie ; sick person was brought and attended' $to.'; 'But,- I*.supposing1 *.supposing he hadn't been possessed , I of the money; supposing" he was an ..unfortunate individual r suffering from dire impecuniosity : : •' supposine; he hadn't a friend m Christchurch how the devil would *he have farod ? Well, . ,■ ', ' . HE MIGHT HAVE DIED r and be damned to. him for all miserable Miller cared. And yet the fellow had the unspeakable effrontery to say afterwards, when taxed with his unutterable inhuman conduct, that he wouldn't have turned the man away if he couldn't obtain the money. But how long was he giving him to obtain the. cash •? Mightn't the sick person — especially one who had attained the age of 73— have died m the interim. The chances arc that he would. It was a most scandalous piece of business right through,, especially as the silly secretary . had no color or right to act as he did. However, De Earneste didn't have .to stay very long m the institution, being well treated. There is one josser there, though, Withers, who should learn or be taught manners . f He is a trombastic buster, and a great many of the patients he attends can't stand him at any price. Secretary Miller had only one defence to make for his unusual highhanded proceeding. He fell back on the blessed Act, which provides that where a- patient comes from an outside district and didn't pay, that district was responsible- for his keep, provided that he had resided there six months prior to leaving for the journey to the institution from which he obtained relief. But owing to the wording of the clause it had not yet been possible to recover from the sister body, k as a break m the journey was held to invalidate the clause. In the present case, Miller sought, to get the oof beforehand, and made an infuriated demand for it too. And yet there' are a- number of well-to-do people m Canterbury who go .-to the hospital when they should be attended "by other medical men, and who never pay a cent ior the treatment they receive m the institution. They fill up the place and keep out the poorer classes. -\