The Tuapeka Times. THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1871. "Measures, not Men."

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 179, 13 July 1871, Page 4

The Tuapeka Times. THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1871. "Measures, not Men."

What is to become of the up-coun-try Hospitals — the Tu;ip«k;i one especially, as it more immediately concerns our district. The question is one which is on every one'.s lips. The subsidy has been reAueedto£l for £1, and some of thu hitherto liberal residents of Tuapeka say they will subscribe not another shilling towards the funds of the Hospital, seeing the Government has withdrawn so much of its support. This is foolish talk, and just in accordance with the small ideas of the people who give it expression. Instead of meeting the difficulty manfully, they, like children, take the " dorts." Poor benevolent creatures, you are to be pitied. For goodness sake keep your pockets lookel up, and you will find the Hospital will get along without you. The Hospital is an institution which is valued in Tuapeka above ail others. All look to it with feelings of sympathy. No one knows how soon he ma}' require its shelter and hospitality. But the question is, What is to be done in the present dilemma £ With a revenue curtailed by one-third — with her wings clipped to such an alarming extent, how is the sweet spirit of Charity to sustain herself. Some people say, hand over the institution to the Government; but if that were done, it would be a great mistake. The lively interest taken in it by the public ; the yearly subscription list, reminding one and all of us of the sufferings of our distressed brothers and sisters, and the healthy moral effect produced thereby, would be entirely lost to the district and to ourselves, and the Tuapeka Hospital would be looked upon as the Dunedin one now is, viz., a place of little sympathy, and to be religiously avoided. No, the Hospital must not be handed over to the Government. Keduce salaries, economise in every possible manner, but don't hand it over to the Government Some people complain of its management — that it is governed by a clique — and that things go on anyhow. That may be true, but if it is, the fault lies with subscribers themselves for allowing such a committee to be elected. Let us for a moment look over the last annual report. The expenditure, we find, was close upon £1800— £800 of which was for salaries, £540 for rations, £111 for medical comforts, £98 for fuel and lights, and so on. The heaviest item, it will be observed, is salaries. On the other hand, the revenue to meet that expenditure was made up by subscriptions, £516 ; paying patients, £138 i and Government subsidy for the balance. With the reduced subsidy, there will be a deficiency of £pOO or £600— taking the expenditure and subscriptions at the

same sum as last year. How, then, is this amount to be met I If the subscriptions in these degenerating; times keep up to the usual LSOO or L6OO, that is all they will da Nothing, then, can be expected itt that direction. The sum for paying patients cannot expect^ to increase much, although we believe too many patients takeadvantage of the benevolence of the institution who are far from being: paupers Retrenchment is the only plan that can meet the case, and we feel certain it is possible to meet it by that means. Retrenchment in the present day is no more the watchword of the Government than it is of every business man. The days of affluence have departed, and nothing will suit these times but a strict scrutiny into accounts and a wise pruning. It is not for us to dictate to the Committee as to the form in which reductions should take place, but a perusal of the annual report will suggest several reductions which would not interfere in any way with the efficient working of the institution. It is anything but pleasant to hear strangers talking of our local Hospital as the " Mansion of Tuapeka ; " and when apparently strong-looking patients manage to patrol the Lawrence streets in all weathers, the idea must strike the public that it is possible to have more patients in the Hospital than there is any necessity for, and that retrenchment is advisable.