HOSPITAL SATURDAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2732, 10 February 1910, Page 7

HOSPITAL SATURDAY.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Would you kindly inform me and your other readers what is the reason for the extraordinary enthusiasm of a well-meaning and doubtless charming bevy of ladies, to bold a Hospital Saturday in Gisborne. The Hospital is not a charity, but is supported by the ratepayers of tlie Borough and Counties of Cook and Waikoliu, together with the Government, otherwise the taxpayers in general. It- would not make the slightest difference to the efficiency of the institution, it Avould not mean that a single indigent person Avould receive less careful treatment or less comfort if not a sixpence was contributed by charitably disposed persons on Saturday next. Would not these kindly but misguided ladies serve the cause of charity better if they devoted their energies to extracting coppers from “the mere man” for such objects as the Maternity Home (which could well be extended to more strictly charitable -purposes), the 'Children’s Creche, a home for indigent consumptives (whose lot is particularly hard, as they are excluded from the Hospital if incurable), and similar purposes, rather than for an institution which, strictly speaking, does not need it, and for which ample and adequate funds are provided by the law of the land? I only thirst for information, recognising that I may he Avrong in by view of it, and that possibly there is some hidden and mysterious reason why we should donate our sixpences, in addition to our rates and general taxation, for the Gisborne Hospital.— I am, etc.*

“RATEPAYER.”

[We Avil] endeavor, so far as stringent limitations of time and space Avill permit, to slake our correspondent’s thirst for information, but we are hoimd to say that avc dissent altogether from his attempt- to hinder a highly meritorious movement. While it is true that the funds at the disposal of the Hospital Trustees are sufficient for the support of thf, institution in its present condition. it is also true that the. hospital buildings are far from being Avell suited to their purpose, and that a more conA'enient structure, on a different site, is urgently required. The ordinary sources of revenue Avill not provide all that is necessary in order to obtain such pren ises. That fact alone affords ample justification for the effort to raise additional funds. Moreover, the Gisborne Hospital is in practically the same position as the hospitals in other centres, in which “Hospital Saturday” has long been a recognised amcl popular institution. Without decrying the merits of the other institutions mentioned bv our correspondent, it may be pointed out that there have recently been sundry public functions for tli-o purpose of raising funds for the Maternity Home, and that the people of Gisborne are wealthy enough and generous enough to contribute toAvards more than one deserving object.—Ed. G.T.]