DUNSTAN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 672, 12 February 1864, Page 5

DUNSTAN.

(from our own correspondent.) Dcnstan, 10th February. The Hospital Oomraittee held their usual monthly meeting on Monday evening Jasfc, at the Clyde Hotel, when, besides going through a vast amount of business connected with the internal arrangements and management of the institution, its financial affairs yere debated at considerable length. At the present lime the total liabilities of the institution are Llli2 with LISOO for its liquidation. But in reality it is only one third of that amount, as the sum of LIOOO is merely in the shape of an advance promised by the Government, upon the repres'ntations of the Committee, that they can reasonably guarantee the collection of LSOO during the next three months. The smaller amount is now due as a subsidy on monies already collected, leaving as it were the assets prospective, rather than possessive. Of the ability to collect this sum during the appointed period, there is not much doubt. The liberality of the people of tho Dunstan is proverbial; but, at the same time, it cannot be repeated every quarter. People, when they have subscribed that amount, will consider that at least they have done enough for the present year. Upon receipt of this money the institution will be out of debt, but it will be left in a very pecarious position, even aUowing that the balance carries us to the end of March. With nine months to provide for, among which will be included those which comprise the winter; as taking1 the last as a precedent, the demands upon the resources of the hospital will be something considerable ; for we must not calculate upon immunity from those severe casis of frost-bite which were of so frequent occurrence last year. According to all appearances the number.-! that will continue out, working in the ranges, will be very large ; for it is a well known fact "that where gold is, men will have it." At the present time the greater part of our supply of the precious metal is from the mountainous regions and from places that were unknown last winter; as well as being more ina.cessible and further removed from the haunts of man than the workings at that time were, but no doubt parties will be much, better prepared to meet the rigours of the climate than they were before. Many are getting things in readiness for a winter's campaign at the present time. About the neighborhood of Campbells, the Middle Range, and Nevis, parties that have done well this' summer, are building substantial habitations, packing out food, providing warm clothing, and storing up fuel with the intention of braving as far as possible the attacks of frost and snow. For however people at a distance may reason among themselves about the foolhardiness of the miners in remaining in exposed and almost inaccessible places, at inclement seasons of the year, it would be very illogical to suppose that men would leave a good payable claim until driven away from it, any more than a man would desert his house and his home without its being on fire, or through some terrible catastrophe happening, that rendered it uninhabitable. The proposed line of handrails across the " Old Man" which the Government intend erectingl, together with, three or four shelter sheds, ■will doubtless do much to ameliorate the condition of travellers if caught in a storm,—that is, should the Government complete them in time, which, according to present progress, looks rather doubtful. Tiiere has been a deal of talk about it, but_ nothing practicable has been done yet; and the difficulties attending the work will not permit of it being done in a day, therefore the sooner it is commenced the better, or the weather will prove a great obstacle to the erection of either rails or huts. This is only one of the probable sources from which claims will spring upon the Dunsfcan Hospital, for which we shall have to provide There is the entire district itself, having a radius of nearly seventy miles, and containing the whole floating population of the Province; and consequently, those most/liable to niufurtune, therefore it will be seen that the hospital has to provide for contingencies far beyond what may be included in the Dunstan proper. Taking the cases of the Tuapeka and Queenstowa hospitals, nearly all the populations < likely to make demands upon those institutions are within a circle of from twelve to fifteen miles ; and following a more steady and fixed occupation than ours. The dangers therefore attendant upon so many persons travelling, and numbers of them badly off as regards worldly wealth, leave them more apt to meet with disaster than t Jose whose occupation is more permanent. From all quarters we have patients, from the Nokomai to the Teviot, and from thence to the .Rough Ridge, the 'aieri, Hamilton's, Hogburn, Black's and Thompson's, thence to the Roaring Meg, Cardrona, and in many cases from the Arrow and Fox/s. Several of these places •have their Relief Committees subsidised by the Government to the same extent as our Hospital, but then they forward us all the bad and difficult cases which they themselves cannot provide for or cure, and refuse to subscribe to our institution because of having Relief Committees of their Thus, it will be seen that however liberal the Government may have been in lending us the. sum of one thousand pounds, it will be but a temporary solace for our wants- In the address presented to his Honor the Superintendent by the Hospital Committee at the time of his visit to this place, they prayed his Honor to grant them beyond the usual subsidy of two pounds to every one collected, a farther sum of LBOO to relieve the institution from all embarrassments ; but this his Honor declined, on the ground that it would be a bad precedent, and the same course would be adopted by all other institutions in applying for extra grants of money or subsidies. But his Honor forgot, or rather the chairman who presented the address forgot to remind him, that the situation of the Dunstan Hospital was without precedent. The demands upon it are greater than the people of the Djunstan can bear, let them be over so generous or inclined to relieve the sick and sorrowful, now that the ayerage expense of the institution has reached its lowest—namely, about fifty six pounds per week in the place of ninety which it has hitherto been. We c-.nnot get along with the reduced sum, what then can we (in when again the expenses come up to the ninety, which we have every reason to suppose they will. One-third of that amouut is by far too much to suppose that the inhabitants of the Dunstan can contribute, and without some extraordinary aid from the Government, let us ilo our best, we never can meet the coming probable demands that the ensuing winter will make upon us. When patients are brought to the door of the hospital on a pallet and deposited there, which has been frequently the case, without any orders of admission whatever, we cannot turn thfm away common humanity forbids that—receive them we must. We are at all times ready to pay our fair share of what is strictly our due ; but to be saddled with expenses from places from which we receive no benefit, is more than can reasonably be expected from us, and if the Government decline to build hospitals upon gold fields which supply us with so large an amount of patients in excess of our own, they must grant an extra subsidy for this institution. The Dunstan Hospital has, unfortunately for itself, in»a financial aspect, obtained a name, far and wide, for being an institution where the sick, howev|r humble their condition, receive all possible and skilful attention, and where the afflicted are cared for almost with a mother's care. To our unfortunate fellow creatures, laboring under ills over which they have no control, we are always ready to stretch forth a helping hand and succor them, as far as it lays in our power, but more we cannot do -in the cause of humanity we have always been foremost, but to require more from the heavily laden beast whose burden is now almost beyond his strength, may cause him to lie down and give up altogether. A large number of people ore leaving for the neighborhood of the Dunstan Creek and Shield's station, where a good many have been doing well of late. At the Cardrona, about twenty-five miles from the Kawarau Township, there is also a fresh rush, of which accounts speak very highly. In this neighborhood a large population lias been doing remarkably well for some months past. Many have settled down with their families, which they lately fetched over from Victoria. The yield of gold, from what I can learn, has been steady for some considerable time, averagingabout 200 ounces per week. Another company i? about to start prospecting on the Dunstan Flat. It is to be called " The Portuna Mining Company," in 100 shares of L 3 each, eighty of which are already subscribed for, although particulars we« ODly made public at a meeting held at the Shamrock Hotel on Saturday evening last. Mr Frank Mansfield is the originntor of the affair, and deserves the thanks of the public for the assiduity he has displayed in endeavoring to develope the resources of this district.

Miss Isabel Chalmers, the youns1 lady who has won the golden opinions of the good folks of the Dunstan, by her vocal abililes, takes a farewell benefit at the Victoria Theatre, this evening, being the eve of her departure for Inverear/di. She has wonderfully improved since her first appsarance, and may now be consi lered as a very promisingsongstress, and will be very much missed. Her place will be filled by Miss Hetta Fleming a youns; lady, lately engaged in Dunedin by Mr Edraondson, the enterprising1 proprietor of the Victoria. The band, which consists of Mr Jeffreys, pianist; Mr Wright, violinißt; and Mr Smith, who performs both on the flute and piccolo, is really first-rate, and taking its number into consideration, is one of the best in the Province. We are highly delighted with some really good music, in the shape of solos, including selections and overtures from some of the most popular operas of the day.