Tue lease of the building now occupied as a General Hospital expires in December next, and new quarters have to be found. It occurred to the Trustees that it would be well to have a special Hospital building instead of renting a house, and they asked the Ratepayers at the last annual meeting, to provide fands tobuildone. The proposal was assented to, on condition that the property of the Hospital be pledged as security for the loan, and that the plan of the proposed building, the selection of the site, and the mode of providing for paying off the debt, should be approved by the Municipal Council. A considerable responsibility was thus thrown upon the Council, and the community are indebted to them for having thoroughly sifted the question. They had to satisfy themselves on three points; 1°, that the proposed building was a reasonable one; 2°, that the proposed site was a feasible one; 3°, that the Hospital was earning a fair surplus of income over expenditure, Satisfied on these points, they were authorised to raise a sum not exceeding Tls. 35,000 by debentures, and lend it to the Hospital Trustees. But the correspondence shows that they have not satisfied them. selves on the most important point, and the scheme remains in abeyance.
Though objectionable in itself, the proposed site would have been assented to, in view of the actual purchase and probable difficulty of reselling it. The Trustees, as our readers are aware, expended all (Lo remaining fonds of the Hospital in buying a piece of land on the outskirts of Hongkew, known as Endicott's Garden. The purchase was no doubt made with the best intention; but it was a hasty one, both as regards cost and position. It is so inconveniently distant, that medical men would hardly find time to visit their patients; and the price paid must have been excessive, for it seems admitted that it could not be re-sold except at a heavy loss, The Council were, however, prepared to waive the objection to it, if " house surgeon were appointed; and on no other conditions would a hospital so far from the Settlement be practicable. Land seems to have been a weak point in the management of the Hospital, from the beginning. A large sum was given years ago for a piece of ground under the City wall, beyond the Ningpo Joss House; but that was lately condemned as unsuitable, and re-sold for a tithe of its cost; and now, again, the Trustees have saddled themselves with an unpopular site, which is the only contribution they have to offer towards the Hospital that it is pro. posed to build, However, the site would have been passed; and plans would no doubt have been agreed on, if the financial prospects had been hopeful. The Trustees had already intimated that Tls, 20,000 would probably suffice, instend of the Tls. 35,000 at first thought necessary; and perhaps a careful inspection of the new Chinese Hospital in Shantung Road, which cost only Tls. 5,000, would have convinced them that a farther reduction was possible, in the estimates. But financial prospects are not hopeful; the Council show conclusively by their figures, that the Hospital has been working at a loss instead of a profit, and that so far from paying off the cost of the building, its maintenance would most likely be a permanent charge on the Municipal budget. Thanks to the large grants of Tls. 1,000 from the French, and Tls. 2,500 from the English Council, it contrived to show a surplus of Tls. 1,795 at the end of 1874, But this is not working at a profit. If the Council is to give the institution Tls. 2,000 a-year, in order to get back Tls. 1,000 as an instalment of debt, it may as well avoid the cross entry, give the building-money outright, and face the prospect of having to contribute Tls. 1,000, or probably Tls. 2,000 a-year towards working expenses. That seems to be the real position; and it is for the Ratepayers to say whether they are inclined to accept it. The Council, as their agents, evidently cannot, under their present instructions.
An important question is raised in the correspondence, about the future management of the Hospital. Everyone recognises the great services which have
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.