HOSPITAL CHARGES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15828, 29 July 1913, Page 6

HOSPITAL CHARGES.

Sir, —Sincere gratitude to those medical men with whom I came iu oontact when last in Duncdin Hospital has hekl my hand, but this attempt by Dr Valintino further to make our hoepitals the workhouses of the Old Country forces it. It is probable that I have known suffering equal to most men. By God's help I have fought on, and few would say that I have not made a good fight; but to be branded as a pauper, and perhaps a malingerer, because I had not the cash to pay for a private hospital is too hard. It may be said that- 110 one unable to pay is forced 1 to pay. No, it is impossible to draw blood from a rock; but one is made to feel his position keenly. _ In Duncdin one ic subjected to close examination as to his means before finding rest in his illness. The-very first thing is to show the weak one his indebtedness. In my case, because I camc from another district, cash was demanded, and only on my refoeal was I admitted. Charity? Tho weak poor stand in a different position from tho wealthy of our cities. All pay for tho upkeep of the police,. who specially protect property, perhaps even more than person, yet each owner would not like to pay directly for the policeman on his beat. We enjoy free education for our children, but again tlio fairly well-to-do -Set the greater benefit. Very few away from tho oities win afford to'pay for the keep of their elder children at High or Technical School. Surely then the weak poor might be attended to in the Hospital •without being made to feel th?ir indebtedness at every turn. —I am, f-tc., A. M. B.

Kakanui, July 26. THE GENERALLABOURERS' UNION'S DEMANDS Sir, -Having read your report of tlio Conciliation Council proceedings in connection with the General Labourers' Union's demands we take this opportunity of drawing your attention to several points in connection therewith.

In the first place we would like to know | whether a contractor who is cited under the award should not have an opportunity afforded him of placing his views before the commissioner on the various points at iesue. We notice that Mr Stevenson (representing the contractors) asked to have Messrs Seddon and Rothwell, of Mosgiel, brought under the award. What we take exception to i 6 that any one contractor carrying on business outside the city area should be cited whilst others employing men from lime to time are left out. What we would suggest to the General Labourers' Union is that all contractors or anyone employing men should .bo brought under the scope of the award irrespective of place so long as it is in the Province of Otugo, as we have always paid more than the award rate of wages, found all necessary tools, ■ and generally speaking have done all we possibly could to make the lot of the worker as comfortable a 6 possible. This makes it nil the more difficult to understand why we should be particularly cited by Mr Stevenson. In regard to local bodies wo feel that a special "award would be quite justifiable seeing that the conditions of their employees are infinitely better than.-the lot of the ordinary casual labourer. The work of the latter is intermittent on account of climatic conditions over which they have no control, whilst the workers in the employ of local bodies are kept in constant- employment.

Furthermore, we, believe that contractors' labourers should receive Is 3d per hour, which is even then no higher, all things tnken into consideration, tli-'ii the 8s 6d per dav paid by local bodies.—We are, etc., Mosgiel. Seddon and Rothwell.

[Our correspondents will liavo the opportunity of laying tlipir view 6 before the Arbitration Court when it sits to consider the dispute.—"Bp. O.D.T-1

THE WAIPORI WORKS. Sir, —I am sure that the citizens must have been very much enlightened by <'r Colo's criticism of the Waipori works. Cr Cole beat ine hollow. Li his speech lie made tho following remarks: '"Everyone knew that a man Drought up to electrical engineering work was ouly competent to deal with that one particular work." And forthwith he 1 insists that the electrical engineer i 6 not a competent man to construct weirs in connection with tho works. Now, what 1 want to know is this, it an electrical engineer is competent only to carry out one class of work, by what authority does Mr Cole presume to criticise the whole electrical power and lighting undertaking carried on by the Dunedin Corporation? Fob a gentleman of Mr Colons lack of engineering knowledge to make such a statement as that "ho thought tho electrical engineer oftentimes did not know where he was" ia a piece of unmitigated impudence. Mr Cole must remember that tho gigantic operations of hydro-electric works arc a very different proposition from the industry in which ! he is himself engaged, and though no doubt from his_ outlook such a criticism would be quite in order, it is very unbecoming. The fact of the matter is that, judged by his remarks, Cr Cole has not any technical knowledge at all to entitle him to make the criticism he did in "the City Council. For instance, take such a ridiculous remark as the following: "He considered, from what ho knew that, if they had a big flood, they would have no weirs, no power-house, and no machinery there at aIL He felt very strongly on the matter." Now this ia mere clap-trap, ajid such a statment oonld only be made by one who knew | nothing about what he was speaking of. It is known that hydro-electric power is usually generated by swift currents running through narrow gorges, and that the risk of a river rising so' high as to destroy the whole property is just as likely and just as possible as a tidal wave coming in .and destroying the whole of tho flat part of the City of Dunedin. Both things are possibilities. They have happened in the past in different parts of the world, and may happen in the future, but, becauso of the possibility of a tidal wave, is the flat part of Dunedin to be left unbuilt upon? I hardly think so. The recent disaster at Waipori was due to the works being under way, and tho construction not properly completed. Had the works been finished, I do not for one moment believe that, even with the exceptionally heavy flood, there would have been any trouble at all. I am afraid' that there is too much of the Little Pedlington spirit- in some of the criticisms that arc levelled at the Waipori scheme. To my mind it is tho biggest and finest proposition that lias ever been identified with'the City of Dunedin. -Ithas done moro and gone further in the way of showing progress than anything that has been done yet. Mr Stark ha 6 shown himself ail efficient and able engineer, and in no way 1,a6 he evidenced this moro than in his ability to pass by and overlook the carping criticisms of those who arc unqualified to deal with the hydro-electric scheme. If Cr Cole desires to do the city some good, let him make an investigation of the Drainage' Board, its history, and its work, and he will find enough to keep him going for the next six months without any intervals left for attending to his business. I have no special brief for the electrical engineer more than -anyone else, but I do hate to see men wlio are carrying out great and important works being badgered by those who have never been in position adequately to realise the difficulties to be faced in conncction with such undertakings.— I am, etc., A. G. M. Dunedin, July 25.

INEFFICIENT.TEACHING IN COUNTRY DISTRICTS.

Sir,—Every now and again one sees a suggestion.that the Education Boards should do" something towards tho improvement of teaching in tho country schools, but, alas! " talk " is all that ever oomes of 6uch suegestions. The Government is professedly anxious to induce people to remain in the country, but as long as educational methods rank so low in the country schools (not to ' mention the back-blocks) parents will strive, and rightly so, to remove their children to town—so that they may have equal advantages with town children. There is a sad waste of intelligence going on, all for the want of efficient training and education on the part of those sent to teaoh in country schools. Why should the town schools be staffed with seven and eight and more good teachers, and anything thht can spell "oat" be sent to teacli and train 25 or 30 country children. It is not a fair adjustment. Besides the important matter of education there is tho added wrong that many teachers have no idea of tho correct methods of supervision. Placed in a little temporary authority, their one idea, of discipline and training is "strap, "strop," and still moro "strap," to the absolute stupefying of the unfortunate child and of no value as education. I am sure the Education Board has no idea to what extent this strapping is abused in the country eohools. It provides a vent for the leocher's bad temper, ete. Many children have miles to walk to school, they have to put up with a comfortless meal in the middle of "the day, and in the end they aro b?ing half educated. This is a subject which for years has interested and I wish the country folk of the dominion would rise and voice their children's wrongs. I hope some other parents will see fit to second all I say. There is something " aglee" in the whole system as far as the country is concerned. The fact that our children are a valuable asset is my excuse for directing attention to the matter.— I am, etc., An Indignant Fatheb.

VACCINATION. Snt,—l can only characterise Mr Wishart's reply to my letter as a quibble of insinuation. He asks me if the attendant at tho Edinburgh Smallpox Hospital was vaccinated after he contracted 6mallpox. Well, I cannot say whether they vaccinated him after he died or not, but my previous letter made it clear enough to any unbiased mind that he was not vaccinated immediately before he started on his duties, as all the other attendants, nureee, etc. were, and to ask if he wa6 vaccinated after he contracted the disease is only a foolish quibble. What would liave been the use of holding an inquiry whether he had been vaccinated or not if vaccination had been performed between the time of his contracting tho disease and his death. . Surely Mr Wishart does not think the inquiry was held simply for the sake of amusement. I forgot, however; possibly it was held as a means of gulling tlio public. , Then Mr Wishart asks; Was it found by holding a post mortem that the dead man had not been vaccinated—that is that vaccination marks could not be seen?" I do not think tho authorities were likely to do such a foolish thing. They were not inquiring" whether he had been vaccinated 10, 20, 30, or 40 years ago-I have no doubt he had—they were inquiring into whether he had been vaccinated, like all the,other attendants, prior to his entering oh his duties only a few weeks or months before. It was conclusively proved to the satisfaction of the parties appointed to mako the inquiry, that ho had not been, and that satisfied. The Scotsman, from which I got my information. Mr Wishart next asks: "If only about 14 per cent, of the smallpox patients died before vaccination was ' invented,' and say 50 per cent, of tho unvacceinatcd men die to-day. Who is killing tho other 56 per cent." I should Bay, the foolish persons who advise tho public not to be vacoinated. Or does Mr Wishart mean to insinuate that vaccination is such a deadly thinu that it kills 36 per cent, of the smallpox patients who, acoording' to his own admission, are never vaccinatcd?

Finally, Mr Wishart asks me: "Were the attendants in the Edinburgh Smallpox Hospital allowed a limited or unlimited quality of whisky or brandy daily, and if they drank tho spirits, will ' Edina' say how much of the immunity phenomena was duo to the spirits, and how much was due to vaccination?" Suppose I could answer that—and I cannot—how _ much the better would Mr Wishart be in his argument? Not one whit. If the other attendants got spirits and brandy, so would the unvaccinated one who died. There is no U6e arguing the point; 100 per cent, of the unvaecinated died, and not 1 per cent, of the Vaccinated. I have read, in oonnection with tho present outbreak of smallpox in New Zealand, that vaccinated people have been immune, and that the Maoris, having noticed this, are anxious for vaccination. Comment is useless.— I am, etc., Duncdin, July- 24. , Edina.