The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1907

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2005, 14 February 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1907

Tiie deliberations - of the Hospital Board are bocomilig so involved in chaos that nobody can for a moment hazard a safe guess as to what is coming next. Of the whole number of members only two or three are showing the least consistency ,r fixity of purpose ill regard to the appointment of a resident surgeon and the reorganisation of the nursing staff. Already a couple of months have been wasted over these discussions, and to-day we are “no forrader” than we wore then, except that the late Medical Superintendent’s resignation has been accepted. People ore naturally beginning to enquire what is at the bottom of it all. That there is something at the bottom of it is plainly self-evident from the fact that certain members of the Board are exhibiting such unpardonable and unaccountable hesitation 10 do the right thing in the interests of the institution itself, and what the public desire that they should do; that is, to appoint a resident surgeon with an honorary staff. First of all the Board spent some time quibbling about wliat salary should be granted, and finally came to a decision to give a gieat deal more than is necessary for a young practitioner who could attend, at cnee to any case of accident or disease, and call in the aid of one of the honorary surgeons in serious cases after having rendered first aid. For the experience that this position would give there are hundreds of young men who would be willing to accept the position at £-200 a year, and who could do the work excellently under the supervision and direction of the honorary staff. AA 7 hat objection there can be to the adoption of fr-f ' plan and the putting of it into practice without loss of time no one but those who are acquainted with the inner consciousness of certain members of the Board can possibly nuclei stand, for the plan lias worked satisfactorily elsewhere, and there cannot be a shadow of doubt that it would be satisfactory here. Then why is it not tried? In the first place, one or two members entertain the notion that the resident surgeon should be a man of some professional j standing who could undertake the I diagnosis and treatment of all eases ! without the aid of an honorary staff, 3J d if such a man could bo found it would he a distinct gain to the in | stitutiou to have him; hut wliat man

of such calibre: would be induced to undertake the work Ur anything less than a thousand pounds a year or its equivalent? Such a man is simply unobtainable at any salary that the Board can afford to fix, for the inducement of a restricted private practico will not induce him, and the man who could ho induced to accept tho Board’s offered terms would be neither one thing nor the other. Tout llioro arc plenty of those in the profession is only too true; hut they aro not tho men wo want, for the reason that tho appointment of such a man would inevitably mean conflict with tho honorary staff on tho question of control, and consequent failure of tho plan. On tho other hand, a student who lias just secured his diploma would have tho advantage of acquaintance with tho veiv latost developments of medical and surgical science, and requires only tho practice to make him a first-class man. To gain this experience ho would only ho too willing to work amicably with tho local practitioners who possess that experience and who would be quite ready to teach him all that ho required to know. He would bo quite competent to treat all simple cases, and the honorary staff would ho readily at his call to assist and direct tho treatment of graver ones. AVhat more than that is required heaven alone and the obstructionist members of tho Board can tell, for nobody else can. But plainly speaking, there is reason to think that the strings are being pulled to upset tho appointment of a resident sill goon of any description, because such nil appointment will not suit certain persons. If made at all it will moan the reorganisation of the nursing staff, and that in itself ?s one of the very strongest reasons why it should he done Tho Hospital at present is in tho deplorable condition of having only one certificated nurse to attend to twenty or thirty patients night and day, and there is no medical officer, strictly speaking. A'ot tho Board fritters away its time in useless discussions, and is ap parently uriablo to coino to a decision one way or the other, for what it unanimously decides one day it is ready to rescind tho next, and tho real purpose of the Board as a whole cannot be ascertained. Tile public have had about enough of this kind of thing, and tlieir long-suffer-ing patience will not stand too tight a strain, especially when there are pounds for the belief that, individual interests may override those of the institution itself if this undercurrent of onesidedness that is manifesting itself in the Board’s deliberations is not suppressed.

Inspector Macdonnell leaves for the Coast this morning. Mr Ngata, M.H.R., returned to Gisborne yostorday from South. Tho ’Frisco mail arrived- from Auckland yesterday afternoon. Tho Hon. J. Carroll proceeds from Gisborne to AVairoa on Saturday morning. The Aventura will not leave Auckland for San Francisco until Friday, Ist March . The Hon. J. Carroll and Mr Gordon (secretary) arrived from AA'ollington yesterday morning. Plans for tlio lino new brick building on the site of-tho old Theatre Royal, aro being prepared. Mr C. E. Armstrong and Mr Campbell have been visiting Opotiki, obtaining information as t'o probable railway routes. Air P. T. Kenway was among the passengers arriving at Fremantle by the steamer Mamora from England, on his way home to Gisborne:

Tho following aro the latest new connections with the Gisborne telephone exchange:—ll3, Langford, E. AV., AVainui (1 long and 1 short ring); 409, How Chow, Mrs. S., Coffee Palace, Kaiti; 410, Somervell, John, private residence, Disraeli street. The Chamber of Commerce meet the Hon. J. Carroll at 10 tomorrow morning. Amongst the subjects to be brought before him wili be the widening of tho direct road from Hangaroa to AVaikaremoana, and tho opening of the railway to AVaikohu station.

At the Police Court yesterday morning, before Captain Clirisp, J.P., AVilliam James AA’hitford, charged with breaking and entering the dwelling of Frederick AVilliams, of Kaiti, and stealing articles of clothing, etc., valued at £3, was remanded till next Monday, bail being fixed at two sureties of £SO each. Bad weather was forecasted by Captain Edwin’s telegram yesterday, which reads: —Easterly gale after 12 hours; glass fall; tides very high, sea very heavy; rain, probably heavy; rivers flooded after 20 hours.” East Capo and Tokomaru advices yesterday reported that a very heavy easterly swell is running, although there was at the time apparently nothing to justify the rising sea. The following telegram was received by the Hon. J. Carroll from tho Auckland Railway League:— “As an East Coast representative, will you endeavor to got route betwoon Ivaraka and AVaihi reported on, not only Mamaku to To Puke?” —(Signed) Poacocke, Chairman Railway League.” The following reply was sont by Mr. Carroll:—“As East Coast representative will do all I can in tho matter of East) CoastAuckland railway connection.” At tlio Lands O/Eco, Gisborne, yesterday, there was an auction salo of leases of reserves, resulting:—Buckloy township (Tolaga Bay): Sections 17 to 20 (1 acre), block 13, sold to J. M. Olliver at £1 15s uer annum (upset £1), Patutahi: Section 50 (la 3r 26p), sold to AV. Mauson, £2 15s per annum (upset, £2 10s); 77 to 80 (3r 32p), M. A. Stevens, £1 5s (upset, £1 ss), AVaiapu S.D.: Sections 1 and 2, block 7 (28a 3r 20p), sold to Tielci Rukuata at tho upset, £6 Cs; 3 and 6 (22a 2r), Euoka Rukuata, £lO (upset £4 10s). Tho leases are for 14 years in tho cases of Buckley and Patutahi townships, and year to year in, the case of AVaiapu.