Generally an increase is proposed to be made to the emoluments of other Government offices.
I propose in the first place to shortly review the increase in the work to be performed by Superintendent of the Government Civil Hospital during the past fifteen years.
I found that in 1875 the number of patients treated in the Hospital was 829 and the salary of the Superintendent £450 per annum, that is $3,000.0 per year or at the then current rate of exchange $2,160. In 1882 the number of patients had increased to 1,458 and the salary of the Superintendent was then $3,000 per year (he having received an increase of $840 a year); this is equivalent to $3,600 at 3/- to the dollar. In 1889 the number of patients was 1,793 and the Superintendent's salary was $2,600 (the average rate of exchange for that year being 3/- to the dollar).
It will thus be seen that since 1875 the number of patients has been more than doubled, necessitating the addition of a new wing called the "Fever Hospital" which was opened in January 1888 and affords accommodation for 34 more patients, making our total accommodation 130 beds.
It hardly appears, on reviewing the various reasons represented by the Committee to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, why the salaries attached to the several Government Offices in this colony should be increased, that the question of increase in the value of House property (naturally resulting in the increase of rent) is to be...