THE MAYOR AND THE HOSPITAL CONTRIBUTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2136, 18 March 1886, Page 2

THE MAYOR AND THE HOSPITAL CONTRIBUTION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — I observe from your report of the borough council meeting hole 1 on the 15th inst., that His Worship the Mayor did me the honour of introducing my name in the discussion of his proposal to pay the hospital contribution. To any one who chooses to examine the statements reported to have been made by the Mayor, it will be readily apparent that they are misleading and fallacious to an extraordinary degree. For instance, no one has believed that Capt. McPnerson represented anyone but himself in his protest against the action of the Mayor and borough council, but Mr Graham would lead us to believe that he posed as representative of the Waikato County Council. Although Mr Graham " may believe it," it is not true that "many members of the Waikato County Council agree with him." It is not a fact that Capt. Runciman agrees with him, unless he has changed his mind since 5 p.m. on Monday, the 15th nist. Mi- Birugh, the representatno of tho county at the Hospital Board, does not agree with Mr Graham. I cannot hope fh.it you will give me space to refute all Mr Graham's statements, but I trust you will insert the following figures to give some idea to your readers of the financial blunder to which His Worship has so readily ghen his adherence. At the first meeting of the Hospital Board a paper was laid on the table showing the amount required to maintain tho hospital for four months. These figures, on making demand for payment, have to a large extent been modified, but the original are sufficient for the practical purpose of comparison. £(5961 11s Gd was the estimated amount required, and according to the secretary's statement, US persons were treated iv the hospital, 41 of them being of Auckland, and 57 from other portions of the Auckland Provincial District. For the maintenance of her 41 patients Auckland contributes £1818, or £44 7s per head, while the country people are charged £5143 11s 6d, or £90 3s per head. But, Sic, of the 57 treated from the country, only thuee were from the electoral district of Waikato, which includes four counties and the Borough of Hamilton. But leaving out Piako, which is connected with the Thames the other local bodies are asked to give £815 15s, or £271 18s 4d per head for the treatment of their three fellow-settlers, and It is into this financial hole Mr Graham would throw the ratepayers' money. There is no reason why local bodies should not be a«ked to pay for exactly what they have received, and no more ; but there would be no difficulty in fixing the contributions on a basis of population, to bo revised every three years.— Yours truly, Jas. McPher&ox. P.S. — If Piako were included in the above computation, the cost per head for our three persons would be £440 18s 4d.

Tiik " Colonies and India," referring to the development of Colonial Fisheries, says :—": — " A million sterling seems a large sum to spend in taking salmon ova to the Antipodes, and rearing them there ; but, if such an expenditure resulted in the establishment of a fishery that yielded a million sterling, it would be justified. Such an outlay, however, is neither in contemplation, nor necessary. A shipment of a million ova can be made at a cost, everything included, of considerably le«s than £300 ; and, if properly concluded, with every prosqect of 90 per cent, of the ova being hatched in the colony." Our contemporary also says that efforts are deing made to introduce —among othe thiugs— the lobster into the water of Tasmania. We have seen very fine sperimens of the native lobster taken from the river Cam, Mersey, and Inglis, on the north-west Coast, some of them weighing over six pounds. Doctors Gavb Him Up — " Is it possible tba; Mr Godfrey is up and at work, and cured by so simple a remedy '" " I assure you it is true that he is entirely cured, and with nothing but Am Co 's. Hop Hitters, and only ten da>s ago his doctors gave him up and said he must die " " Well-a-day! If that is so I will go this minute and get some for my poor Goorgo. I know bops are good." Read