The Tuapeka Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 1868. " Measures, not Men."

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 18, 13 June 1868, Page 2

The Tuapeka Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 1868. " Measures, not Men."

Ik the Provincial Council on Friday, last week, the question of subsidy to country hospitals was introduced by Mr. Hay moving " That a sufficient sum be placed on the Estimates to give a subsidy of three to one, as formerly to the Goldfields hospitals." The motion was supported by Mr. Shepherd ; after which the Provincial Secretary (Mr. Yogel) made a statement, on the authority of Mr. Hulme, of the Dunedin Hospital, who had supplied him with, statistics, or a comparative statement of the expenditure of the Dunedin and Goldfields hospitals. It is difficult to tell ■ why the Provincial Secretary should have taken Dr. Hulme's statements in preference to those forwarded to himself every quarter by the secretary of each hospital, in accordance with the Government ordinance. We would have thought that the Provincial Secretary could have obtained full and complete information within the walls of the Government Buildings, without trusting to any outside assistance; and we shall prove that, had he adopted that course, he would not have been led into such grievous error respecting the expenditure of the Tuapeka Hospital as he was led into upon the occasion in question. In his statement of the various hospitals, he said, that the average cost to Government per patient in the Tuapeka Hospital for the year ending 31st March, 1868, had been L 124 15s. This average, we may state, either he or Mr. Hulme had arrived at in the following neat and concise manner, which must have given very little trouble to either gentleman :—: — The sum of L 2246 subsidy had been paid to the Tuapeka Hospital during the year ending March 3Jst,-1868, and the average number of patients for that year was 18 : by dividing L 2246 by the number of patients, a sum of L 124 15s. lOd. is the result, which, to the uninitiated, appears to be the amount each patient has cost the Government last year. We shall prove that this statement is quite erronious, as the amount paid by the Government last year included a large sum due to the Hospital on the previous year's subsidy. The Provincial Secretary wisely qualified his statement, although in a very vajfue manner, by »ayinjj that $•

cost per patient in the Tuapeka Hospital was no doubt increased by the fact that an arrear had been paid by Government during the year. Would it not have been still fairer on the part of Mr. Yogel to have stated the amount of that arrea, so that people who had no means of forming aay estimate of it might not have been so grossly misled ? Well, what is the real state of the case ? What is the amount of arrears $ The following figures, which we hay* taken from copies of the statements forwarded by the secretary from time to time for tho information of the Government, will place the public in possession of the correct information, which the Provincial Secretary failed to supply : —On the 31st of December, 1866, which closed the Hospital's financial year, the Government was indebted to the Hospital for subsidy in the large sum of L 1454 13s. 2d.; and, as might be expected, the Hospital required to get an overdraft on the Bank, for which, of course, the usual interest was charged, thus entailing an unnecessary expense upon the Hospital. Three months after this, or on the 31st March, 1867, being the close of the Government's financial year, there was anotker sum, amounting to L 535 17s. 6d., due by Government for subsidy, which, when added : io the L 1454 13s. 2d., makes a total of j L 1990 10s. Bd. due by Government on subsidy on the 31st of March, 1867 ; but during the quarter in question — that is, the last quarter of the Government's financial year, ending 31st March, 1867 — two sums had been paid by Government towards subsidy ; these were L3OO in January and LSOO in March, which, when deducted from L 1990 10s. Bd., left a balance duo by the Government to the Hospital of Lll9O 10s. Bd. at the commencement of the Government's financial year. Now, let us enquire into the true state of the case, and in our inquiry observe the absurdity of the way in which the Government, or the gentleman deputed by the Government, has arrived at the conclusion that the annual cost for each patient in the Tuapeka Hospital it L 124. It was itated by the Provincial Secretary that L 2248 had been paid by the Government for the Tnapeka Hospital for the year ending 31st March, 1868. In this he was quite correct ; that sum had been paid by the Government ; but when he was so explicit in stating the amount paid by the Government during the year, why wa3 he not equally explicit in stating the amount the Government was due the Hospital for the previous year 1 We confess we were somewhat startled when we discovered that the arrears of the Government amounted to the large sum of Lll9O, thu» reducing the actual amount which the Government had paid of last year's subsidy to LI 056, which aum, had Mr. Hulme or the Provincial Secretary divided by the average number of patients, namely, 18, would havo given LSB 13s. 4d. as the cost of each patient, instead of L 124 15s. 10d., according to Mr. Hulme's erroniout — in fact, stupid means of computation, We would have thought that a gentleman of Mr. llulme'« experience i of the Government might have well known that, although L 2246 was represented as paid on account of subsidy duriug the year, it did not follow that the whole of that amount was tubsidy for that particular year. In the case of the Tuapeka Hospital, we have «hown that more than one-half of the total amount received by the Hospital during the year consisted of arrears paid up by the Government. But while we have shown that, had Mr. Hulme kept in view in his calculations the arrears referred to, he would have found, according to his own plan, an average cost to the Government of LSB 13s. 4d., we must, nevertheless, state that that is not the correct amount, nor is it the correct way to arrive at it. Had the Treasurer gon« about the thing in the proper way, he might have ascertained in a few momenta all the facts of the case from, the Hospital secretary's quarterly return, whence our information has been obtained — ihe exact sum which each patient coits per day or per year. Well, what do those returns show? By taking an average of the four quarterly returns f«r the year ending 31st March, 1868, they show that the expenses per day for each patient is ss. 6|d., which, multiplied by 365 days, gives a sum of LlOl 2s. B|d. Now deduct one-fourth frnm that amount, as the proportion paid by the district itself, and we have the total amount which each patient costs the Goverrment a» L 7 5175., instead of L 124 15s. 10d.; and then, if we deduct, as we ought, the average yearly sum of L 3 6s. Bd. a head for out-door patitnts, we have the L 75 17s. reduced to L 72 lOd. 4d., as tke actual cost to Government of the patients in the Tuapeka Hospital duringthe year ending Mar«h3l, lß6B. and this sum, let it be clearly understood, includes the cost of the hospital staff — Doctor, warder, matron, and cook, which, the Provincial Secretary stated, Mr. Hulme's statement did not include, thus showing, still further, the falsity of Mr. Hulme's calculations. There is truly a great disparity between the two statements we have now presented; but we refer the Provincial Secretary, for ihe correctness of our conclusions, to documents in his own possession, which are much more reliable than any he can be supplied with by Mr. Hulme. We have made ihe copies of those documents, the data for ous calculations, and we make bold to assert that the result is infinitely nearer the truth than the statement of Mr. Hulme. We should like well to make a comparative statement between the three goldfields hospitals, but we refrain from taking the figures supplied, by the Provincial Secretary, or Mr. Hulme, as they are as likely to be as far from a correct statement of facts as are those regarding the Lawrence Hospital. After such false representations of the actual expenditure of the Lawrence Hospital — representation3whicharecalculaiedgTeaily so injurethe good character of the institution, and raise doubts in the minds of subscribers as to its efficiency, we think tho Provincial Secretary is due the Hospital j Committee an apology for publishing such statements as those referred to, and we would strongly advise the Committee, at their next monthly meeting, to request that such an apology be made. This course we advise them to adopt for their own exculpation in the management of the Institution, and also for the purpose of disabusing the minds of subscribers and others who may have been misled by the •trtements made in the Provincial Council,

The new road to the Teviot \vid the east side of the Molyneux, about which some unnecessary noise has been made, is simply a carrying out of the original survey by Mr. Thompson, the Chief Engineer, and which, when completed, will be a great acquisition to the inhabitants of the Teviot and other districts, as one or two most inaccessible hills will be avoided ; and we should imagine both time and expense will be lessened for cartage, as the road will be along the banks of the Molyneux, from the Beaument to the Teviot. We would draw the attention of the Lawrence Town Council to a very dangerous small hole in the footpath just opposite the Bank of New South Wales. We know of one gentleman whose foot caught in the hole, by which he was precipitated against the bank, amd suffered a narrow escape either from concussion of the brain or a sprained foot. There are also two ditches cut in the footpath of Boss Place, which, we think, would be highly commendable on the part of the Council to have filled up at onee — ditches, which, we believe, have been cut to drain off the water from some sections lately flooded in that vicinity* Let ua hope that the assistance of Drs. Halley or Stewart will not be . required before some means are adopted to make the necessary repairs in the footpaths of our rising township. We are glad to. learn from our Tapanui oorre•pondent, that the 4000 acres of land of the 8000 lately opened for settlement in the Glenkenick district, have been sold, and many applications have already been lodged in the Land Ofice during the last five w«eks, for- the remaining 4000 acres open for sale, but we regret the GoTernment have not yet fixed upon a date for the sale of the same. The children of the Lawrence District School were presented with their prizes in the Schoolhouse, on Wednesday last, by Mr. Bastings, President of the School Committee, who congratulated the children upon the progress they had made during the past year. A large number of volumes of a miscellaneous description, chiefly selected by their able and respected teacher, Mr. Stenhouse, were presented to both successful and non-successful scholars. It is seldom such a pleasant scene is presented to our view, as was on Wednesday, when upwards of one hundred children received— some their prizes, and others their gifts, for excellence in learning, application, and good conduct. Mr. BastiDgs seemed fully to enter into the spirit of boyhood, j and to realise old scenes at home, for the treat which he afforded the children — at his own expense—in buns, tarts, lollies, and nuts, was in every respect appreciated by them, and it was most amusing to see them scrambling about under the desks and forms for the nuts and lollies thrown at them promiscuously. We were glad to see the children a little relieved from the conventionality of school rir/ime, and the hearty manner in which they entered into the enjoyment of the occasion. We doubt not but that they will apply themselves to their respective tasks with renewed energies, and prove by their advancement the good effects of these marts of kindness and attention shown to them by those whom they either hold in reverence or respect, We learn from a Switzer's correspondent that a man named Paton, with a team of bullocks, was, drowned in the Mataura during the late snow-storm ; and also that the Post-boy, who carries the mail from Long Ford to Nokomai, is missing. We regret to say that the O.P.Q. reef, the prospect of which promised so well, and which has been worked on tribute for some tune past, has been abandoned. On account of bad weather the sale of , Church of England Bazaar goods is still further postponed for another week. Waipom has suffered considerably in consequence of the late heavy fall of snow. Mining operations were almost entirely suspended ; and since its settlement, the township has not presented so dull an appearance as it assumes at present, and Mich, probably, will be its aspect until more propitious weather sets in, when the miners will be able to resume their ordinary avocations. From its great elevation Waipori is subjected to the severity of every passing storm, and it was visited by the last snow storm with frigid intensity. The track from Lawrence was completely snowed up. After passing the Wetherstones Dam, travelling became slow and tedious ; and in many places the snow had drifted to such a depth, that it was with considei - able di^culty a horse could be forced ■fhrough it. The greatest danger lay in the deep ruts which, being filled up with snow, it was impossible always to avoid. We fear that the sheep on Messrs. Cable and Drummond's run must have suffered severely, especially the young and weak ones, which do not back away from the snow. Dicksons' Hotel on the ranges had suffered considerable damage from the storm, during which time it was crowded with diggers who had been snowed out. The heavy rain which set in on Thursday night must have again flooded Waipori as it has Tuapeka. We have heard on good authority that Mr. John Eitzgerald, settler, had gone direct through to Manuherikia on the west side of the Molyneux, with a team of horses, thus avoidingthe Knobby Eanges, which are such a drawback to traffic on the other side of the river. We learn that the road from the Teviot on the west side of the river will be completed in the coming spring, when we may expect to have Mr. Bradley's coach which now runt to the Teviot, running right through to the Dunstan. We have very great pleasure in announcing that Mr. Bradley, coach proprietor, advertises that he will commence another coach to the Teviot on Saturday, the 4th July, leaving Mr. Potts' Victoria Hotel, Peel-street, Lawrence, at eight o'clock in the morning, and arriving at the Teviot the same day, and starting again from the Teviot on the return journey every Monday morning at eight o'clock. We cannot speak too highly of this additional communication to the Teviofc and intermediate stations, and we trust that the enterprise will not only meet with the encouragement it deserves from the travelling community, but that the residents in Lawrence and in each district along the line of road, will endeavor now by petition to the postmaster to secure an additional mail to the Teviot and Dunstan, to meet the pressing want they have long felt, and also pnrtly to compensate tho enterprising proprietor for the great boon an extra coach to tho Toviot will confer on the inhabitants. GORMLET and party's raoe, Waipori, known by the name of the Great Republic, tho constrction of which has occupied twelve months, is now finished ; this race commands the whole of the north side of ths Lammerlaw llangas. We may state, as showing the great faith entertained by the miners in ground sluicing in Waipori, that <3ormley and party have not washed a dishful of stuff during tho twelve montha they &VQ been making thl rac?, I

"VYje are desired to state that the Rev. M. H. Martin will hold service in the schoolroom at Lawrence at the usual hour, if the creeks are passable and allow of his returning home. We understand that the Presbytery of Clutha, at its last meetiug held at the Teviot, resolved to meet at Balclutha on "Wednesday, the 17th June, at eleven o'clock a.m. It will be seen by an advertisement in another column, that Mr. Cohen has commenced business as dealer, in Mr. M'Coll's store, White-haven-street, and knowing that gentleman's ability both as a buyer and salesman, we have no hesitation in recommending the quality of his goods to those who may favor him with their orders. Mb. Warden Stratford, of Switrer's, delivered an amusing lecture in the Schoolroom, Lawrence, on Tuesday evening, to a respectable audience. His subject might be styled " A Voyage as a midshipman on board a man-of-war from London to Valparaiso and back." It was made extremely amusing from, the numerous yams both original and borrowed, of which the lecture was made 1 . Up. We have a lengthened report of the lecture, but are unable to find space for it in this issue. The receipts from the lecture went towards the Lawrence Church of England Fund. Laween«e has again experience^ a severe flood. During the greater part of Thursday the township was enveloped in a d«nse fog which towards evening turned into a Scotch mist, and continued so till early on Friday morning, when the rain set in, which has not ceased or slacked for a moment up to the time wo write, six o'clock on Saturday morning. Another of those floods to which we have been so much accustomed during the last season, has visited us. By two o'clock yesterday there, existed a difference of opinion as to the body of water running in the creek, and as to whether it equalled former floods. By six o'clock it had j risen at least a foot higher, and completely covqred Ross Place for a distance pf from fifty to a hundred yards, and was rushing down towards the creek with all the appearance of a river. Several of the inhabitants in the early part of the day were under the necessity of clearing out of their houses. The family of Matthew Hay, Esq., M.P.C., were removed to the upper floor of the house. The coach from Tokomairiro with the mail, did not arrive last night, the approaches to the Waitahuna, bridge being as we guessed washed away ; this could not be otherwise as the embankment was constructed of nothing but sand and gravel. Between eight and nine o'clock la.st ni3ht Mr. Bastings and Mr. Clark, of j started to meet the mail ; they managed with great difficulty to reach Mr. Chalmers, about three miles from Waitahuna, when they found it was quite impossible to attain their object on account of the approaches to the Waitahuna Bridge being washed away. The road in Hospital Flat being also washed away it was found difficult to gain footing ou their return journey. At this particular place they were therefore obliged to swim their horses. We may mention that this is the first occasion for the last three years that the mail has been delayed for a day. Several gentlemen anxious to g«t up-country to Tapanui and other parts, were obliged to remain in Lawrence. The damage to property must be considerable. We have received intelligence from Waipori that the rain was equally heavy in that district, the river rising rapidly, and great fear of another flood, and as the Lammerlaw and other ranges were covered with snow a very serious oue was anticipated. A man named Edward Hensley, a miner, who has been known about Waipori for two and a-half years, was brought in from the ranges the other day by the Waipori police. Whan, the police went to his hut (or cave, we should say), he was founl cutting grass to make a bed of it. He had neither blankets nor bedding of any discription, and the clothes he had on were all in tatters. The cave, which is situated in Long Gully, was surrounded with snow four feet deep, aud is cut out of Ijhe embankment 4 ft. long by 2 ft. high : it "was necessary to crawl down to get into it. No appearance of food was in Hensley's possession ; and he said he had not eaten anything for some days. He was brought into Waipori on Sunday, where he was clothed, and his wants, in respect to food and necessary comforts, supplied. It ia singular that, after being out in the frost and snow for such a length of time, he was not frostbitten, or in any way injured, but appeared quito happy and comfortable. As it was well known that Hensley w<*a suffering f r«m mental derangement, a charge of vagrency was brought against him, in order that he might be cared for while the storm lasted. He was therefore brought before the Magistrate, and was remanded to Tuapeka for further treatment as might seem advisable to the Magistrate, who appeared to take a considerate view of his case. From all appearances, Hensley is quite harmless ; and it would only be a humane act to have him placed in some benevolent asylum during the severe winter months. He has no relatives in New Zealand, so we are informed ; and the result of hia mining would not supply him with the necessaries of life, as he is quite unfit for labor. Had the police not found this man and cared for him, he would certainly have perished from want and exposure; and they displayed a degree of humanity in the discharge of their duty highly commendable to the force. A suorr time since there was a discussion between our Rambling Reporter and a correspondent as to the cost of the footbridge across the Tuapeka Creek. Well, it is interesting to notice the course of events, including floods, &c The bridge, it was said, had cost £50,— quite enough from its appearance ; and to prove the correctness of our Reporter's estimate of its value, we may say that the last flood, resulting from the snow-storm, if flood it may be called, washed away the centre itays of the bridge^ which is now in a precarious condition. Should another flood of any consequence happen, we shall only realise our expectation that the bridge has gone the way of previous onei, which yi -down {he creok with the floof.