A VOICE FROM THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10513, 9 November 1895, Page 6

A VOICE FROM THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.

'■■ ■■ : . TO THE KDITOK.

Sir,—Having done those things which I ought doc to have done and left undoue the things I ought to have dons, Providence (and tte committee) have found me a home in the institution. It has been said that it is an Englishman's privilege to grumble ; ,1 wish, with your permission, to in<lu!gß in a mild growl. A number of English, lri-h, and Scotch inmates arc provided with Bleeping accommodation in the Immigration Barracks. We complain that the floor* are imperfectly swept and never scrubbed ; that the "slush" lamps ustd (rusty pannikins and cofffe tins) are tilled with rancid fat, and if hen lighted send forth a disagreeable odour, which, mixing with the smoke of, the cotton wicks and the dust raised by the inmates going to bed, is v<;ry injurious to (hose having weak lungi. After lying1 down and inhal'wg the impure atmosphere, sneezing and coughing is the order for the night. Some of us bare come here to die, bat we want to live as long as we can. There are other things not generally known to the outride public that would soon be remedied after a surprise visit of the committee. Of course there are those who grumble at trifles For instance, an old "brusher," one of the last survivors of the battle of" Ballarat," was he»rd to say, when "givingthanks," "Father, I thank you for.what Thou hast provirind, except, the mustard. I hope the contractor may be forgiven for supplying «uoh an inferior article." However, I must say that the " muter," Mr Mcc, is the right man in tbe right place. When he softly glides into the dining hall, and stands erect like the historical Roman sentirwl. his prelencs is felt; his eigle eye takes in at a glance the small army of old growlers, and nilence is only broken by the sawing noise mado by the blunt knives cutting badly-cooked, tough mutton.

.i do not suppose, Sir, that you have ever experioncsd what is called here the "tobacco hunger." If you are fond ot tbe soothing weed and would like a new sensation come and live here during tho "half plug" we«k. Before the next time of serving out you will have made up your mind to make a hole in the broad Pacific.—

I am, ice.,

Dunedin, November 7. Inkatb. [Having made inquiry we leara that our correspondent has exaggerated to an unjustifiable extent the state nf matters at the Immigration Barracks. The trustees have recoguijed that the barracks were not very suitable, and it w«« for that reason that they have htd extra wards erected, but the latter are not available for occupation until tbey are proparly dry. Only the strong and able-bodied were placed in the barracks, and the work of shifting these to the new wards will bo commenced next week.—Bd. 0. D. T.]

— A church at Boston h&s anoooneca Sanday services at 8 30 in the morning during the early summer months, in order to accommodnte those people who takean outing on Sundays, "aad by reason of so doing f<el compelled to absent themselves from church services later in the day."

— People who live beyond their means and are yery tardy in paying ttreir debbi have been blacklisted in Vienna by ft daring publisher. A book contninipg their saoes has met with B big sale.