THE EVENING MAIL. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 307, 18 April 1877, Page 2

THE EVENING MAIL.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 1877.

Wnrt-i iirn fhirv'**. !«tI:» 'tn>r> »> J tn;» (mffirrr np»r»:« thought tiny t«pui4w:e tfuit vfiitU iiu»fc»-» chvin.uu'i.* think."

If there be cms chnrttftMe insttt,uli'.>n in Oatuartt inrnrts «lj3s'rviiig of p;it>l:e support than any otEicr, it is certainty the; ll*>s--I>ituL It is an institution uhic'i Itas be«t* the im;ans of th.iny ?n inc;tl- • cntaWc anHHtut of y<'»>«l itut in; the faw yrai-a it has het-n in txistetire, ami has f*r*>wd itself itttliyp.ns«;ni»lrr h> fiu ctuwmutvity. Ic wan institution that c.-itl.s for the hearty support of every resident in the ctbtnet, ar* I that it s!iu;tM not ntfft with that support in cartainly a matturof artrpriaj. Bttt sttc'i is the cislat present, an.t attc'i has t!ie case for aotne time- past. This is the more to he ttepWed seeing that, hy the action of the General AssemMy last year, it is extremely doubtful whether the institution wilt continue to receive the Government subsidy of £1 for £1 on subscriptions and donations, a«ch as has hitherto been given t«> the Hospital. The inaintenance of the institntion will depend, therefore, almost entirely npon the generosity of t!»c public. This was pointed *>ut very plainly by Cpnnnittee at the annual meeting held in January last, but the hint then "•tven dee» not sacin to have had tin? desired effect. Although the town and district are in a moat prosperous contlitioti, the public do not appaar to have recognised the necessity of contributing as they should do towards the most deserving ef our jistttntkns. They have omitted, ill their prosperity, to reiiKiuber their sick and sntieriug f.Kow-creatures. While prosperity has attended them, they Lave failed to notice that 30uie of their fellows have beta less fortunate. For soiao

time past great cills have bean made upon the Hospital, and the Committee have had to meet much heavier demands than lias previously been the case. These demands they have had to meet notwithstanding a possibility of the Guvcrnmsnt subsidy not being forthoming and the lack of support from the gnu-nil public. The consequence la? been that the funds available have bee >m3 very small, and it is absolutely necjssary t!iat something should be don-j to place t!ic institution in a butler position. It is true-, there is a sum of something like £1203 belonging to the institution invested upon mortgage, which some might think could be used; but, as the Committee pointed o:;t in their annual report, it is necssary that this money "should be held sacred to assist in meeting the necessity, which must in the future arise, for the enlargement of the buildings ; and that, year by year, the current income should be made to meet the current ordinary expenditure.*' liesides, a very handsome r.venue is d-rlved from the investment .if tills money, and the Committee have acted wis-ly in deciding not to expend die cvpitrd sum f »r fie payment of current xpi-nsus. T.ie time is not far distant vUeii it will be found n cjssary to expenl i considerable sum of iiitm.-y upon the , tdarg munt an I iinpi-ovem.-nt of the t.nilbuj. Wo liuvj hal evidence lately .f the in-ibility an 1 dusistclinati »n t»f the

r;«ivcrriiii-jHt to* co:ribu'e ntiyt'.ing tovvarus the > x;>ir»sv ' i improving hospitals, ;m»l it is \v ( II t'nit f e public s'.ould bear t is in mind when t'ny talk of exp nding .he i:io:nv,- which the Couimittjc has u-isa-1y laid aside to mci-t the cost of addin- t>> the piismit Hospital acconinmda ti..n. Tiie wis.->>t eonrsj to adopt is to make* an < .r.n.sf appeal to t':e public 0:1 Mialt «>f the institution. Tds cour.s?, *v <»bs cv •. i.s g'ing t--> I» -j follo-.vwl by t«n* Committor. At a meeting'.ell last evening it wnsikcUrd that the K.-cv tary should

writ;.- t> the- miirster.i of t'le virions t-'.trc'icj in tin; disrrie", asking t'lein t>> ! it i tit ir ail in tYj mi't-r, by way of it) (king sp.-cia! c >!k-etio:is in th -ir churches ..:i Iwiia'l ..: tie U- pi' il. Wo trust that tV clergymen will sou their way to comply with t'rti; iv ptj.st, and thus brill.'

forcibly before t':u niimb "f t'ie public t':e ji-cjs*:fy of soun-t'iing towards tic s;i[>{>ort- of ;tn i:ist : t:iti.»;i established for t':e r.li.-f of the sick .1:1.1 su.Tjring iitcinhvra of t'ii; c Kiitmini.y.