Sessional_Paper_1896 — Page 657

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will not take them over unless they are in order, and are submitted to the Government and published in English and Chinese in the Government Gazette. The Government grant to the hospital has always been supervised by the Government and no investments have been made from it without the previous sanction of the Government.

22. In Appendix XVII. will be found a petition from the Directors of the Tung Wa Hospital praying that $20,000 may be granted from the $34,000 deposited in the Bank in order to meet certain extraordinary expenses incurred by the Hospital in connection with the plague and in improving the Hospital buildings. We consider their request a reasonable one and recommend it to the favourable consideration of the Government.

23. From the evidence of Mr. Lo CHI-TIN, a former Chairman of the Tung Wa Hospital Directors, it appears that there has been some difficulty in obtaining the usual subscrip- tions from some of the Guilds. A list of these Guilds is given in Appendix XVIII. and we recommend that steps should be taken to point out to these Guilds how necessary it is, if the Hospital is to be continued in a satisfactory manner, that subscriptions should be paid regularly.

P. 19.

24. As regards the sanitary maintenance of the hospital the evidence before the Commission somewhat varies. Looking, however, to the evidence of Mr. MCCALLUM, Mr. LEIGH, Dr. CLARK, Surgeon-Colonel EVATT, and Dr. AYRES, and speaking from our own experience of the Hospital, extending in the case of some of the members of the Commission over many years, we are of opinion that the Hospital has been and is maintained in a fairly sanitary condition. A reference to the evidence of Mr. LEIGH will show what improvements have already been effected as regards lavatory, cloth- Evidence ing, and store accommodation. In answer to the question: "Is the Hospital kept in a good condition?" Mr. LEIGH states:-"The Hospital has always been kept clean. Evidence I speak from sixteen years' experience of it." Surgeon-Colonel EVATT is inclined to think Evidence the Hospital compares not unfavourably with the Indian hospitals, and in reply to the question: "With regard to your visits to the Hospital, did you find it clean?" he replies: "I think so." And further on being asked-"Apart from clothing. did you Evidence think the Hospital clean?" He states:-"Considering my Indian experience. I should say it was." Even Dr. Lowson, who is in favour of the abolition of the Tung Wa Hospital, admits that it is better than it used to be.

25. The drainage of the Hospital has been thoroughly overhauled and is now in a satisfactory condition.

P. 21.

p. 69.

p. 07.

P. 21.

p. LXXX.

26. As to the existing wards of the Hospital Mr. LEIGH states that "These two Evidence wards are as good as you can wish for in any hospital. They are well built, well lighted, well ventilated;" and Dr. AYRES in his letter of the 22nd June states:-"In Appendix accordance with your request I inspected the Tung Wa Hospital on Friday, the 19th instant, and was pleased to note the improvement made in the wards by the removal of the cubical screens, as I recommended in my Annual Report for 1894. This is an improvement to all the large wards for medical cases. These wards are now well ventilated and can be kept clean, but constant supervision will be necessary to see that this is done."

27. Having given our reasons for our opinion that the Hospital is fulfilling the objects and purposes of its Incorporation and is in a sanitary condition, we now proceed to consider the second point of reference to the Commission, viz., "whether the Commission can suggest or recommend any matter or thing by which the present organization and administration of the Hospital can be improved or carried on more effectively." Various recommendations in the direction of improvement have been made by different witnesses. Dr. ATKINSON is in favour of abolishing the Tung Wa Hospital, but with his view we do not agree. What would be the effect of such abolition is clearly indicated by the Colonial Surgeon, Dr.. AYRES, when asked to state his opinion as to what would be the result upon the general health of the Colony if the Tung Wa were