THAT HOSPITAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12588, 20 August 1910, Page 3

THAT HOSPITAL.

The movement for the establishment, of a children's hospital in Wellington goes on apace. As the fund stands now ab well over £4000 with considerable sums yet to be credited, all the money raally' required has been raised. But tho circumstances are 'entirely exceptional. Owing to the fact that Mr. Hugh J. Ward gave the movement the needed fillip at the outset, helped it liberally from his purse, and has worked night and day to make it a success;, the churches have stood out of the business. That is a very curious position indeed. Ifc means that, if they are logical, Dr. Gibb and Mr. North must very carefully examine every coin that comes to their treasuries, and every shilling that comes from one whom they consider to be a sinful brother they must hand back. The sinful brother business has been horribly overdone. Tn plain fact, Hugh Ward is a quiet, intelligent, studious, and perfectly reputable member of society, with one wife like any bishop. The farce he staged here, and Messrs Gibb and North derided, has been play-" ed with great .success over a. large part of the world. Mr. Ward had been playing it in various parts of Australia, ana New Zealand for many months before he came to Wellington ; and during tho whole of that time no clerical voice had been raised, although very many ministers of religion had witnessed tho show. When it was staged in Wellington, the daily newspapers, which had given full and*free publicity to the extremely violent attacks of Messrs Gibb and North, were compelled in fairness to admit that the attacks had been unmerited and that there was nothing in the farce to provoke the protest of any reasonable person. But in spite of that, Dr. Gibb and Mr. North (who have not seen the* farce, or even read the script) persisted in their denunciations, and have even gono the length of holding back their support from a wholesome movement of public benevolence because Mr. Ward is connected with it. Charity suffereth long and is kind. Mr. Ward smiles upon his assailants, and frankly admits his sorrow for them. In any case, the incident is closed. The public has given liberally, even the Chinese have stepped iV.jth in a body with their gifts, and the .sinn required has been raised.