CORRESPONDENCE

Southland Times, Issue 19311, 1 August 1924, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE

LMtan mint ba written in Ink and on ana ■lda of tha papar. Unlaoo a algnatum, not naeaaoarily for publication. accompaniai a lattw as a gnanntea of good faith it will ■at ba ccmoidared. An aateriak attached to the «1 mature to a published lattar denotes that eoma portion haa boon delated by the •ditor. a right which la exercised in queaUona ef public policy, Übal, good taata and fair play. RADIUM APPEAL FUND. To the Editor. Sir, —I have read the letter over Mr Hide’s name in this morning’s issue and, on behalf of the public generally who are subscribing to the fund, I would like to ask: Does the word Southland, in the letter mean Southland Hospital District; or Southland Province, thereby embracing the county of Wallace, and, of course, including the Wallace Hospital District? My reason for asking is, that in the course of my travels to-day, I met a member of the Wallace Hospital Board, who told me that “unless the money from this district went through the Wallace Hospital Board” the subscribers would get no benefit from it, as they would be outside the Southland Hospital Board’s District, and the institute in Dunedin would not recognise the residents in the Wallace Hospital District as entitled to the use of the radium, simply because the money went through the Southland Hospital Board. As this a serious matter and should be made plain to everyone subscribing, I would ask you to give as full an explanation as possible. Thanking you in anticipation ot same. I am, etc., “SUBSCRIBER.”

( When the matter was referred to Mr T. Hide, President of the Southland Radium Appeal Fund, which is being administered under the auspices of the St. John Ambuance Association and the Red Gross Society, for an explanation as to whether the scope of the appeal was to be restricted to the district controlled by the Southland Hospital Board, that gentleman stated that there was no such restriction, but that the appeal was being made throughout the Southland province generally. The reason that the money was being paid through the Southland Hospital Board was in order to secure the Government sudsidy of £1 for £l. which they would not receive were any other method adopted. The terms on which the Dunedin Hospital Board would be granted the use of the radium purchased by the funds raised in Southland, were clearly set out in the circular, and read as follows:

(1) Southland patients will be treated on the same footing as patients from Otago.

(2) Radium Emanations can be sent by post to our doctors for the treatment of patients in their own homes, saving the cost of travelling to Dunedin.

(3) Southland at six months’ notice may recall its RADIUM for use locally. “I wish to assure the public,” continued Mr Hide, “that the word ‘Southland’ is used in its broadest sense, and applies equally to the whole of the province, and every man, woman, and child will be eligible to receive treatment if it is required. The reason that the radium, for which we are appealing for funds, is being lent to Dunedin, is on account of the fact that it is not desirable to create a separate Department in Southland, owing to the expensive nature of the equipment required, and the necessity of fully qualified persons being available to carry out the highly specialised treatment entailed. In conclusion, let me add that there should not be the least hesitation on the part of the public in subscribing, because, if it is found at a later date that we can equip a Radium Department in Southland, then we can secure the quantity of radium back from the Dunedin Hospital that has been purchased with the money collected in Invercargill.”—Ed., S.T.).