THE Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1881. THE ASYLUM INQUIRY.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 129, 30 March 1881, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1881. THE ASYLUM INQUIRY.

"Words are things, and a Urop at mk falling like ■ dew upon a thought, produces thut which makes .. thougauds..Perhap3.m;lln>n3-think." ■ --

». — Tims' whole of the evidence m the inquiry into the working of the Wellington Lunatic Asylum has now been taken, counsel for and against the Superintendent have been heard, and it-is, more than possible that before our readers shall have read this article, the Commissioners will have given their judgment. That such a state of affairs as was disclosed during the progress of the enquiry should have been allowed to exist m the enlightened, nineteeth century, and m the heart, w we may say of a crowded city, with inspectors and official visitors, is a sad commentary upon the callousness of humanity, and a most damning proof of the culpable neglect upon t.he part of those who were appointed as guardians to the unhappy inmates of the institution. From his very induction into the position of Superintendent, Whitelaw. was a. fraud foisted jupon the colony by Dr. Skak, m 'order to oblige a noble lord at home, from whom he brought letters of introduction. In his evidence the In-spector-G-eueral admitted that when he appointed Whitelaw to tne position of Superintendent he was fully aware that he had no previous experieucein lunatic asylu ms whatever ; that he was aware that had been a clerlcj.iv some railway workn ; but He thought that a man who brought a letter of introduction and recommendations from the Earl of Ktnnaikd, should, be fitted for the position of Superintendent. Will any sane man believe Bueh-an-assertion; or, supposing that, that really was Dr. Skab's conscientious' opinion, will it not strike most? -people that then Dr. Skae was not fitted for his position. To takeeKarge of a 1 unatic asyl am — m addition to a long training — it is necessary that a man should possess special adaptabilities ; but we find the Inspector, m, the first place appointing a man well knowing that he does not possess the former, and contiriiiiug him' m charge when he' niUst have known he 'was totally devoid of the latter. Supposing Whitelaw to have a most practised expert m the treatment of lunatics attlje^ijnejie sought and ab.ta.in.ed 'the "his" subsequent brutalities — which must have been, known to the Inspector— were of such a nature as should have caused his instant dismissal. It is perfectly usele,ss£to say that. Dr. Skae was not aware of the brutality of the Superin* tendentj he i^on' 1 the horns of- a diiew*^ RS tb&.only es,ea.p9 |roift %\\q\\

a charge if by the admission that Dr. Skae most shamefully neglected his duties. It would appear, however, that that gentleman has rather a j hazy idea of what his duties as In-spector-General of asylums really are ; for upon being asked m the course of examination by the Chairmau of the Commission, if, had he seen any brutality or wrong-doing on the part of the .Superintendent or his subordinates — would he not think it bin duty to interpose, he replied -m the negative, and intimated that all JJiat would devolve upon.him-wou.d-bVto mako an entry of the matter or report. So that according to his own showing "although I)r..._SKA.E is supposed to have supreme control over all the hospitals and asylums m the colony, and gets ever so many hundreds a year for the work, he is iv point of fact nothing more or less than official visitoi'% any one one of whom could do what Dr. Skats modestly arrogates to himself. We -will not refer to the sickening record of brutalities which was the daily, routine iv the asylum under the regime of VVhitelaw, which reads more like extracts from one of Henry Cocktos's novels or from Mr. Charles Reade's "Hard Cash." How such atrocities could have been carried on from day to day, known to the host of witnesses which were brought forward at the enquiry, and no action taken for their exposure and repression seems really wonderful. As to the scoundrel Whitelaw, it is a pity that he cannot be made amenable to "law, and a punishment tilting for his barbarity meted out to him. He has been proved to have been throughout the tenure of his office an inhuman scourge without either heart or soul, who gloried m the miseries which he inflicted upon his unhappy charges ; a coward and tyrant who revelled m torturing the hepless ; and whose contemptible cupidity was not proof against cheating his own mother. Nor can we acquit Drs. Skae and France of all culpability m the matter. Evidence was given that when a formal complaint was made by an eye witness to the brutality of one of the attendants towards a patient, the farce waa gone through by these gentlemen of holding an inquiry, only, however, to dismiss the complaint. We consider the thanks of the community are due to Mr. Shaw for the determined action which he has taken m layiug bare the secret horrors which have been of daily occurrence since the miscreant Whitelaw was placed m charge of the institution. The task was a most invidious and difficult one, and at the outset even the members of the Commission were inclined to look with disfavor and suspicion | upon his efforts, and throw every obstacle inhis way. As, however revelation followed revelation, public feeling and opinion brought such a weight to bear, that the truth and the whole truth was forced to light, and it must be confessed it has proved of the saddest character.