THE HAGEY INSTITUTE.

Observer, Volume XVIII, Issue 1025, 20 August 1898, Page 3

THE HAGEY INSTITUTE.

Are the Taxpayers to Buy It ?

It will startle a good many people, to learn that .a movement is on foot to work that ghastly failure, the Hagey Institute, off oh the general taxpayer. The promoters have sunk a good deal of money in thayenture, and, being unlikely to get it out again by treating patients, this little move, of which they are no doubt profoundly unconscious, will be decidedly in their interests. The first indications of v?hat was on foot came from the women's political associations, which, one after the other, with remarkable unanimity and by a series of strange coincidences, passed resolutions asking the Government to take over the Hagey and make it a public institution.

Then Mr Hogg stood up in hiß place in Parliament and drew attention to what he alleged were cures effected by this system in respect of alcoholism. Mr Hogg didn't condescend to afford any information about the cures further than to say they had been effected. He didn't mention one word about the scores of failures who are still reeling about our streets in spite of the vaunted ' absolute cure of alcoholism,' and notwithstanding their substantial payment of £25 for a treatment that did not benefit them. Mr Hogg alleged these cures had been attested by many compotent witnesses. Tommy-rot, Mr Hogg. It was all part of the business/ The failures require nobody to Bpeak for them. Tfaey speak for themselves.

It would be a gross misuse of money either to pay the cost of treating patients in the Hagey, or to take over the Hagey Institute, uatil some independent proof has been given that the formula will achieve the absolute care of alcoholism. It has failed to do so in dozens of cases, even when the fee of £25 was paid to the promoters. In Sydney, one of the promoters on oath would not even accept the responsibility of saying that chloride of gold was used in the treatment at all. But this is of little moment. Thoße best entitled to speak say thit chloride of gold does not cure drunkenness, and therefore it does not matter whether the Institute uses it or not, apart from the objection that it is morally wrong to say the thing is nsed if it is not.

The Napier Telegraph, speaking from practical experience of the Hagey Institute in that town, does not think very much can be said for an Institute claiming to cure drcrakenness which cannot keep it 3 own managers sober. True enough. But, in Auckland, our experience has been different. The patients have become sober evidently as the result of the treatment, and have continued so for a month or two after they left the Institute, and then, with scarcely one exception, they have relaps ed into their former habits. Can this be called an absolute cure for drunkenness ? Is it treatment that is honeßtly worth £25 ? Moreover, is it the sort of thing the Government ought to uae public moneyß to buy from the speculators who are so eager to get out of it?

— That Governor Ranfurly is doing more entertaining in Wellington than any of his recent predecessors. But he is dead off Auckland and the ricketty furniture in Government House.

— That the new class of yacht adopted by the Parnell Sailing Club will be much in evidence this forthcoming season About a dozen will be built by members of the Club.

— That it was considered quite the proper thing at the Wellington Art Exhibition last week to enthuse over Lady Ranfurly's pictures — whether you knew anything about art or not.

— That the ' mass meeting of workers ' last Saturday had to go down before Jupiter Plnvins. Also, that the Hon. W. Jennings and Mr J. M. Shera were the most disappointed members of the gallant crowd who attended.

— That Lawyer Jellicoe. did his best to ' roast ' a pair of old opponents when he got Drs Cahill and Martin in the witness-box in the Wellington vaccination case. Bat he didn't get much change out of them.