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a large i tern for washing and needlework necessary" , and again, "the
convict grey ought not to associate any of our charitable ins titutions
\'>'ith the old prison discipline".
the children 's cause was not questioned;
His authority to criticize and fight
on the contrary,, his strong
censure of the Orphan School farm led to the setting up of a Commission
of Enquiry into its management .
Mercury.
On January 3, 1863, Hall wrote a very special letter to the
For many years past ! · have had the painful task to comment
strongly on the excessive mortality in this institution in
comparison with the deaths of children of corresponding ages
in the island at large, and in the esablishments of a like
nature in the neighbouring colonies and in Europe. In 1859
important improvements \'>'ere initiated in the Queen 's Asylum
in the dieting and hygienic management of the children, but
for the previous nineteen years the annual average of deaths
\'>'as between fifteen and sixteen.
I have now a different tale to tell, which I doubt not \'>' ill
be heard with pleasure by all friends of the children. At
my visit yesterday, the 2nd instant, I made a record in the
'Visitors' Book' of which the fol lowing is an extract:
"Praise be to God ! I have the happiness to record that
not one death occurred amongst the chi ldren in 1862 ; in fact ,
not one since the 19th August, 1861. Now that the infant
department is removed to the new buildings , the overcrowding
which has so long militated against the health of the chi ldren
can be obviated . I have now sanguine hopes that the mort ality
in this institution will compare in future advantageous ly, not
only \'>'ith that of children of the same ages in country districts
of the is land , but \'>'ith the best managed estab lishments of a
like nature in Europe.
This praiseworthy effort had been achieved in spite of an epidemic of
\'>'h ooping cough in 1862 and fu lly substantiated the truth of sanitary
reformers' theories .
Everywhere there is abundant room for hygienic improvements
and most assuredly in this island, not\'>' ithstanding it has
one of the most salubrious climates when it can get fair play. 4
However, the precarious state of Tasmania's economy in January , 1863 , did
not permit Hall to relax his vigilance;
so hard to achieve could easily be lost .
the reforms which he had labored
Yet , in common with other
citizens, he hoped that the newly elected ministry would correct the
failings and abuses of its predecessor and institute a better order of
things .
In fact, this was not to be.
In line with the ne\'>'ly declared
policy of retrenchment, a Royal Commission was appointed on February 9 to
.I
4
Mercury , January 6, 1863.