LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14002, 7 September 1907, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

TREATMENT OF DELIRIUM TREMENS PATIENTS. Sip.,—lt. is hardly worth whilo followine "Medicus" further in hi 6 "extraordinary" correspondence. Ido not' in the least dispute tho 6onndnc6s of his belief in the advantage of observation wards in tile Hospital for the cases whoso proper location wo have been discussing. Had ho confined his criticism of your article to showing; that you were wrong in disposing 60 easily of (his aspect, of the question I should not have troubled about answering him; Init ho introduced such a farrago of nonsense into his letter, in an offensive way, totally ignoring the reasonableness' and soundness of tho greater nart of your sensible article, that ho -nvited • comparison not favourable to himself. But " Medicus " docs not merit any further attention at my hands, and T leave him to further reflect on his illbalanced discussion of an important question.-! am, etc., Medicus 11.

Sir,—ln thinking over to-night tlm discussion in which I have l>een involved, or, in which I have involved myself, in your columns it lias occurred to me that, in this matter, which I regard as one of spoilt importance, the discussion, ■ which should lie academic, shows signs of dcgencratins into a personal wrangle. Now. in any discission the main issue should never be ohcourcd by allowing your opponent to occupy practically the "whole field of vision, and it hanpens that this discussion vitally concerns those "that are miserable and out of the way," and unable to help , themselves. That being 60, I must be the firßt to admit that I have not been blameless, and if, a? is possible, or oven probable, you found the epithet "extraordinary," wliiclj I applied Jo your.lejdcr, offepgivp i

can only offer a frank and froo apology, which I trust you trill rocojvo in the spirit in which it is offered. To'iny mind, thoro is suroly a batter solution of tho problem than you have offered. I cannot goo any ether way than by making provision at tho Duncdin Hospital sad by Government, subsidy for such casc3. Something must bo done, and that very soon. "With regard to Dunodin Hospital and to ono of tho questions asked in my letter, which appeared in to-day's issue, I must still maintain thoro oi'o cortain thingß crying; aloud for reform. I admit tho difficulties in tho way, but. as tho Yankeo said, " Life ain't in holdin' a good hand, but in playih 1 a well." And has this hand bcon played as well as it might have been? Tho rcsponsi- 1 bility rests upon tho two' bodies connected with its administration, Though tho question may of impertinence, ono is constrained, to ask: Has the one body been as instant, in season and out of season, in pressing for reforms it regards as vital as it should liavo been, and' has tho other received with the attention it should the representations coming from tho former,' whose Authority to speak it ahouM rccogniso without question?

Witli regard, again, to tho miserable scandal of Bonding hospital patients to gaol, I .am not going to try to put tho saddle on tho right liorso—l was going to say quadruped, but in my present chastened frame of mind I refrain,—but there is no doubt a very large share of responsibility' lies at tho door of tho Government. An honest politician (I uso the word "honest" in a-very largo sense) is the noblest work of God, but he is as rare, whatever party or country ho belongs : to, as the New Zealand notornie. Politicians are too often far more concerned with catch phrases to secure popular votes than they ore with the welfare o£ tho people. But thoro §is in tho meanest of human hearts, sleoping but never dead, a nobleness that politicians too often leave out of their calculations, and that will rise in majesty ono day against burning injustice done to those who. are unable to help themselves. • It will rise,, I firmly beliovo, and either compel Government of tho day to .do justioa or find another that will.—l am, etc., , Medicos. [We have pleasure in accepting the apology "Mcdicus" offers in connection with the uso of the word " extraordinary " as applied to our article. As to the solution of the problem involved, wo believe our suggestion is worthy of consideration. ED. O.D.T.] "

THE BRIGHTON AND COAST "DISTRICTS' CLAIMS TO RAILWAY COMMUNICATION. _ . Sir,—Although Brighton is one of the earliest settled parts of tho province, vot wo find it one of tlio most backward. Tho principal owree of this is ite geographical position. Isolated, as' it is, from the main south line by a continuous of hills that render ■traffio ever them a difficult awl an expensive matter, its 'progress is impeded to a great extent- A continuation of tho Walton Park branoh lino to Brighton and a bridge over tho Taieri River at its mouth would be .i.lio means of efficiently serving an area, olosoly, settled, of over twenty-fivo thousand 'awes, extending along, tho coast-lino a distance of • over 20 miles from Khe present terminus. Tho important question to' lv> answered by those who urgn this extension is that of tho profitableness of tho line. Wo havo heard that time-worn phiaso repeated that it would not pay for axle-grease, asthcro would bo nothing for it to do. Wo wall now look into tho matter and consider -tho points in support of this expenditure. Firstly, from an agricultural point of tow. Owing to tho cost of cartago to and from our. trado centre there ianot one-quarter of tho land under what might reasonably i bo termed intenso cultivation., The balanoo has ten left, more ot Iks, in an inferior productive condition. With cheap transit facilities in tho shapo of ■railway communication, and liberal liming, however, every acre of tho area now iroro- or less non-produotive coidd bo profitably worked into, a state of clcso cultivation, and the outcome would be a creation of traffio for the railway equal; for its size, to that of other provincial _ Tho next point to consider is tho position of tho coal industry, as the matter of developing _ a coal'-supply close at/hand should 1 claim tho attention of the people of Duncdin to some extent. Tho lino to Walton Park was constructed to serve -the coal mines at that place, and from the present torminus the output is two train loads daily. On tho Crown lands and .elsewhere at this end oxtonsive coal deposits exist similar in quality to the Saddle Hill coal, and an extension'of the lino to this end would in a short time bo justified by the development of the coal industry alone. Another factor _ that would contribute materially to the income of the railway is the residential and holiday traffic. Brighton is now so well aJid favourably blown by the people of Duncdin. and surrounding districts as a holiday and health _ resort that. it . would, with railway facilities, be extensively patronised. At present it is an expensive matter getting., from tho city .to Brighton, and itHs mostly tho well-to-do that can avail themselves of tho opportunity; tho great _ majority .of the workers and their families cannot reasonably afford such an expense. Railway communication would altar theeo conditions and bo tlio means of affording to all olassca of tWcommunity tho privilege of cheaply visiting this healthy seaside locality at; under an. hour's journey from their homos. , Tho estimated Co6t of constructing this lino is £15,000. Calculating tlio interest per' annum at 5 per cent., this gives tho sum of £750,' which would .figure out at about £2 8s per working day. Add to that working expenses, say, £2 12s per day, and a total cost of £5 per working day is obtained. Now, take the carriage of coal With the opening up of tho mines, would it bo unreasonable to expect "this end' to turn out at leastj 60 torn per day. In my opinion there would bo no difficulty whatever in turning out a much greater amount, lie output daily at , tho present terminus is about three 'times the amount I havo above slated. Sixty tons of coal at Is .Sd per ton would give a return of £5 5s to tho railway, while at the same timotho Government would receive a revenue in the shapo of royalty for l coal mined on the Crown lands." Again, take Brighton as a residential resort: with railway facilities it would be Teasonablo to assume that a number ot Duncdin business people would reside here during the greater part of the the year. If' only 25 first class, or 12 first 01a63 and 26 second class, passengers used the line daily tlicry alone would pay an amount, that would cover all expenses. _ Lastly, take the holiday traffic. _ During past seasons hundreds have visited tho place. But with railway communication from Duncdin and surrounding districts hot hundreds, but thousands, would then visit, this resort, the result of which in iiself would be a substantial contribution to the income of the railway. Among other traffic there would be the carria.go of road metal and gravel, Tho lino would pass by ono of. the finest road metal quarries in the province. Taking everything into consideration, tne construction of this extension is fully justified, as tho place cannot otherwise bo cffioiently developed. Tho expenditure of £15,000 on railway construction in any. other part of tho province .would not give a. better return, as this branch would undoubtedly prove itself a busy line. Under present provincial conditions this district should havo priority of claim to consideration on account of tho time it has been settled. During that period of over half a century it has received little or nothing in the shape of public monoy. and it can hardly bo said that llio district is now dicing .for an unreasonable and coet-ly expenditure. In fact, the Railway Depart* ment, without agitation, but from a business point of view, should, of running a train to tiio present terminus for only one item, da at present, mako this small extension so that it would embrr.co all classes of traffic, the result of which would provo a paying concern _ to that department, a benefit to tho residents of Dunedin, and a boon to the settlers of tho district.—l am, etc.. ■ D. M'lntosu. Brighton, September 5.

THE DRINK QUESTION. Sir,—According to the compilations of your correspondent "Saiidy M'l'djn*" and ihfl letter of A. C Robertson, which appeared in'your'yesterday's iseup, outsiders will ho apt to imagine that "Ilunedin 13 one of the most drunken places there is itnder the sun. I have not travelled very much in the colony, and all my information on the abovo question is practically gleanod. from the daily papers. We a-re all well aware that a small section of the population .'erv often takes more ilrinlc than is good for it, but (hat. surely, should lie no reason for prohibiting those who drink in moderation. There is not the slightest doulrt about drink, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, being a luxury that can easily _be <lono without. The same might be said of ie.". and confectioneries; but then it might bo said that there is. 110 one arrested for over-indulgence in these luxuries. It is . my intention to-morrow and other Satur-

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day nights to walk tho principal streets of tho city to toko special observations regarding tho juvenilo drimkenneea that is said to exist. The football season has probably been, tho causo of some hilarity on tho part of somo of tlio enthusiasts of tho game. Tho young men of tho colony, unless llioy have a trade, aro nono too well paid' to have money to indulge in alcbholio liquor, and from what little I havo seen of _ therp at tho public biro they esohefw whisky and other spirituous liquor. When it is asserted, that tho Government is "liconsing a fow avaricious members' of the community to become rich " I think tho 6tatemont is not altogether oorrect, as it is only lately that I noticed , a certain firm had .negotiated for tho sato or transference of over. 20, hotels within six months, with,a "strong demand." Why such should be the ease'is a mystery to mo, unless it is in many instances duo to tho' Reduction vote—a vote which docs not in tho least rcduco the consumption of alooholio liquors. Tho business, to a, great extent, is a gambling ono, caused principally througlf the enormous goodwill paid;,without tho landlords participating, : with '.tho qomequenco that an incentive is very often given to many ■licensees to sell to their customers' mora liquor than is good for them. It is well onougli known that many of thotragedies wo read about take placo when the eulprita are intoxicated; but who can tell whether ■the same results would,not talco place if tho persons concerned Were sober? Wo also know that many of the greatest tragedies and sensational plots .have been car: ried out by persons who nover tasted strong drink.—l am, etc., BENDIDO. September 6..