The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 166, 11 February 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1868.

There are some thin-skinned people who do not like hearing the truth, and our evening contemporary and some few of its friends are among the number, and therefore is inclined to be wroth with us. An independent newspaper that endeavours to fulfil its mission must necessarily be an eyesore and a nuisance to wrong-doers or people who do uot like plain-speaking or plain-dealing, and therefore we suppose we shall always be an eyesore to those very respectable members of society who do not, like Archdeacon Denison, believe in calling a spade a spade. Some short time since we published an article on " The* Nightside of Buller Life," and which"seems, because of its truthfulness, to have excited the ire of some of the would-be-purists of Westport.* The article itself contained some statements of facts which were brought under our notice touching the destitution existing in the neighbourhood of Westport, and appealing to those who were in easier circumstances for aid, and while so doing we brought before our readers the state of the hospital. In doing this it seems we have given "grave and mortal offence," and are called ingrates and all sorts of hard names by our evening contemporary, and " the number of residents in a district that have ceased to be subscribers, and declared that they never would allow a copy of that paper inside their houses again." Well, it is very evident that we cannot look for any supportfromthese "modern Pharisees,' who cannot bear to be told of their short-comings. We again repeat that it is a disgrace to the inhabitants of Westport that the hospital should be in the condition in which it is, and that so much destitution should exist without any attempt being made to relieve it. The rhodomontade about not aiding in the progress of the district, we leave to our readers. Our interests are bound up with the progress of the Buller; and, therefore, we are bound to forward it to the utmost extent in our power in an honorable manner, but we will not gloss over any evil doing, nor will we shirk from exposing any abuse, to curry the favor of those who will not admit us inside their houses. In conclusion, we can only add that instead of the circulation of the Westport Times decreasing, we are happy to say that it is, and has been for some time past, gradually increasing.

Notwithstanding the fact that the discovery of the gorilla has exhibited to us a type in which the bestial approximates very nearly to that of a human creature, and has done away with many of the distinctive definitions of man ; there is one left which no physicial research is likely to

destroy. Wo apeak of that exclusive idiosyncrasy of mankind, especially the English variety of the race, viz.— his love of public subscriptions. Man's chief aim in life next to making money seems to be to form meetings dinner-parties, and cliques, all ending in the wonderfully characteristic act of subscription. We of the Buller have not been behindhand in keeping up the national character of our race, and subscriptions for all conceivable object, both of a religious and social nature have from time to time been mooted, and in many instances successfully carried out. One species of subscriptions, however, has never been a success in Westport, and although we have the example of the sister towns of Hokitika, Greymouth, Charleston, and others, inciting us to exertion. We have never yet been able to reach the boiling point with J regard to the establishment of an hospital. The amelioration of the diseases and sufferings of our fellow man, has always been esteemed an honored duty, and the exertions of Miss Florence Nightingale in this cause have earned for that noble lady a worldrenowned and endearing reputation. Living in the midst of a community whose occupations are essentially of a dangerous character, we more than any settled or agricultural community, require the largest and best hospital accommodation that it is in our power to establish. Any one, however, who has visited the two small buildings allotted to us for this purpose by the Government, will at once be struck with the insufficiency of their accommodation to the wants of our numerous and scattered population. Several attempts have been made to establish a Hospital Committee in Westport, for the purpose of raising a fund, to entitle us to the Governmental Supplementary Grant always given in like cases, but each one has proved futile and the whole matter, after one or two preliminary meetings has, either through carelessness or inadvertence, been suffered to fall through. We drew attention in our Friday's issue to the survey being made up the river, for the proposed Hospital site, as planned by Mr Blackett, the Provincial-Engineer, which only awaits the necessary funds to be at once proceeded with. The financial position of the people of Westport at the present time is at a low ebb, but still, however great thir difficulties, we think that, were the matter properly taken in hand, they would gladly subscribe either little or much, for an object so deserving of their sympathy, and so necessary for the life and comfort of their poor sick and suffering brethren.