A HOME TOR' INCURABLES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8247, 21 February 1905, Page 2

A HOME TOR' INCURABLES.

The offer of a site for a Home for Incurables which was made to the City Council last evening opens up a question which we 1 hope will bo discussed seriously. The offer should have been made to the Charitable Aid Board or the Hospital Board. These, bodies are more directly interested than any other in the care of the chronic cases of illness for which accommoda-. tion has to be found. But although Mr Ritchie's letter was not directed to the proper quarter it none the less served a useful purpose. It was the means of creating a discussion in the Council and of inspiring a resolution urging upon the Government the necessity of building a Home for Incurables. This resolution should form an appropriate basis for future discussion. It is hardly to be expected that of its own initiative the Council will take any further steps in the direction in which it moved last night. But it liaa gone far enough, to . show that if the responsible bodies take up the matter they will be able to count on its active sympathy and support. That the responsible bodies will take up the matter we have no doubt. The necessity for making special provision for the incurable and chronic cases. now lying in the hospital and the various philanthropic institutions in Christchurch is becoming more pressing every day. The hospital authorities cannot provide sufficient accommodation for them, and, moreover, the hospital is no place for them. Nor should^ the philanthropic institutions be expected to receive th^m. These institutions are fully taxed to accommodate the aged and infirm. It is imposing on them to ask them to receive the incurable invalid as well. The latter should be accommodated separately. He should go where he can receive the treatment suitable to his ailments. He will not find such treatment in a hospital, and he will not find it in a home for aged persons. On the other hand, it ! will be available for him in a Home for Incurables. If the coming conference between the Charitable Aid and HospitalBoards takes this view of the question Christchurch will be within measurable distance of possessing a home of this kind. If it goes further and indicates its intention of establishing a home it will have decided on taking a very wise' step.

to listen to the music, have their pleasure spoiled. No wonder they are complaining. We hope their complaints will receive immediate attention, and that a sufficient force of constables will be stationed in the park to keep order,. Having provided the public with an excellent weekly entertainment, the authorities ought to take care that they are left to enjoy it in peace and comfort. N Of the thirteen assasrussta's b£» syiations which have bbcobu. taken place during the past twenty-three years in Europe and America, five may be debited to Russia. Of Russia's quota do less than four have occurred during the past three years. On April 15, 1902. M. Sipiaguine, the Minister of the Interior, was blown to pieces by a bomb, the favourite weapon of the extremists of the Russian revolutionary party. On June 17, General Bo^brikoff, Governor of Finland, was s'h«t, a month later M- de Plehve, the successor to M.'Sijjtaguine, fell a victim to a bomb., and last Friday the Grand Duke Sergius met with a similar fate. With the exception of General Bobrikoff's all fouF murders were the work of the extreme progressives. Sipiaguine, Plehve and Sergius were all uncompromising reactionaries as well as merciless administrators. They strove to stem the relentless tide of popular opinion, with the inevitable result. Their successors will be' in danger of a like f ato unless they make up their minds to bow to the popular will. Apparently the city the streets, authorities are not impressed with the necessity for keeping the streets of the city in a decent state of repair. We cannot recollect the time when the streets were in a worse condition than they are at present. In spite of the fact that the summer has been unusually favourable, many of the main thoroughfares are in a disgraceful state, 'and the condition of many of the side streets is oven worse. But the authorities cannot be roused to undertake the necessary repairs. To all expostulations they reply that it is useless to take action until the laying of the electric trams . has been finished. To ; a limited extent they are right. For instance, it would be simply wasting money to relay the streets through which the trams will pass until the work of laying the lines has been completed. But this argument does not apply to the other streets. There was never any excuse lor -allowing them to degenerate into their present state, and they ought to be repaired immediately.