HOSPITAL MATTERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2590, 26 August 1909, Page 7

HOSPITAL MATTERS.

A LIVELY DISCUSSION. BOROUGH REPRESENTATIVES ASKED TO RESIGN. At tho conclusion of the general business of the Borough Council meeting last night, Cr. Harris asked if-any reply had been received from the Council’s representatives on the Hospital Trustees Board ; in regard to the request for certain information. The Mayor said that no answer had been received. The Council had a -•duty to perform in the matter, and lie thought that the Trustees who had failed to give tho information should be asked to resign. The Council had a right to the information, and should insist on that right. If there had been anything objectionable in the question asked the .matter would he different, and if the Council’s representatives •were to be allowed to think that they were in supreme charge, it would be most unfortunate for the Council. The question was one of the status of the Council. He moved—“ That owing to the representatives of - this Council, Messrs Bright and Mann, on the Hospital Board declining and neglecting to supply certain information, asked for by the Council, regarding hospital matters, that they be requested to resign.” Continuing, the Mayor expressed his regret at tho necessity for such a motion. Tho Council’s representatives had not even had tho coiirtesy to reply to the second letter which had been sent them. At the request of Cr. Darton, the correspondence wa's. read by the Mayor, who urged the Council to pass the resolution. They could not compel the gentlemen mentioned to resign, but it was a matter for their own good taste. Had the questions been answered, doubtless the gentlemen and the Trustees would have had the heartiest support of the Council. Cr. Smith asked if the information asked for was outside that contained in the i annual report. The Mayor: Oh yes. Cr. Somervell regrerteu very much ■the discourtesy which had been shown to the Council bv its representatives on tho Board of Trustees. He thought the Council should stand to its rights in the matter, and further urged that the representatives on the Board should be sitting members of the Council. He seconded the motion as a matter, of selfrespect of the Council. Cr.* Clayton said that ho deplored the fact that no reply had come to the second letter, but suggested that that might have been an oversight. He held that to ask the representatives to resign would make the Council look ridiculous, as the gentlemen were not sent to the Board as mere delegates. The information had already been supplied through the medium of the press, and the action of the Council’s representatives in referring the Council to the secretary of the Board was a right and proper one. If they were not satisfied, as a contributing body they could always apply to the secretary of the Board. He hoped the Council would preserve a fitting dignity in the mat ter, and not make themselves a laughing stock by asking their representa tives to resign. Cr. Darton spoke in a similar strain. He characterised the whole matter -as a storm in a teacup. The Trustees had done something that was not strictly according to law, but had remedied it at next meeting. The whole letter sent to their representatives was really a letter of censure, and had been answered at the meeting of the Trustees on the 16th, and anything further should be obtained from the secretary. If any discourtesy had been shown it was by the Council to its representatives, and not vice versa, as suggested bv -the Mayor. The Council was extremely fortunate in its representatives, and it was uncalled for and undignified to be making a mountain out of a molehill.

Cr. Pettie said that he had opposed the sending of the first letter as he felt that it amounted to a vote of censure. He would oppose the motion, although he was surprised that no reply had heen received from the representatives, but agreed with Cr. Clayton that it was owing to an oversight. He would move as an. amendment that a further -letter he sent to the two gentlemen in question, pointing out to them that they had omitted to reply to the leter. If the motion was passed he felt that the Council would be making a grave mistake. Cr. Clayton seconded the amendment. Or. Smith said that as the term of office of the Council’s representatives expired on December, it was hardly worth while asking them to resign. He would support the amendment. . Cr. Harris said that as a Councillor elected by the people, he would support the motion. He thought the letter sent to the representatives bad been a most courteous and reasonable one. They were condemning their, representatives, not for what had been done before, but for not taking any notice of the letter sent to them. He had more faith in their capacity as business men than to imagine that either Messrs Mann or Bright could have overlooked the matter of sending a reply to the letter. He did not' think the Council should bend in the matter, but should ask their representatives to resign. Cr. Kirk paid a tribute to the worth of both the Council’s representativee in 'the Board of Trustees, and also to the value of the medical officer of the institution. It was over a month, howover, since the letter had been sent to Messrs Bright and Mann, and although regretting the necessity for such a resolution/he felt that without a definite assurance from their representatives, the resolution should be passed, in order to save the Council’s dignity and * self-respect. The matter was one . which could not be passed over, and if the resolution was not carried they as Councillors might not be doing their •duty. The Mayor said he agreed that it was only a matter of calling in question the action of their representatives in practically refusing to supnl v desired information. He felt it to be an unpleasant dutv, but a necessary one, and they were perfectly justified in approaching their representatives at any time. He hoped the Council had more backbone than to ask a third time for information that should have been supplied over a month ago. Or. Darton contended that the representatives of the Council had not-re-fused to supply the desired informa- ‘ tion. Cr.. Collins:-It was a passive refusal. Oontinuiffgri'jth e;Mayor said that, the h&d practically' defied ' the Council. : He felt tjuite justified . that their repfesentatyeS had no inten- / tion of replying to the /letter. _ . Crs. Clayton and Potfib said that they knew the representatives of the ■'Council had expressed their intention of replying to the letter. The amendment, on being put to the meeting, was lost by 6 votes to 4, andbefore the motion was put Cr. Kirk .-’’ggested that as it had been made •clear what the Council intended-to'dt>, the matter might be held over 'for a fortnight to see if any reply /was 'iorth‘coming. j

. Crs. Clayton and Pettie contended that such a course would be to insult the - gentlemen mentioned, the latter declaring that if some members of tno Council made a mistake they should stick to it like men. Or. Harris resented any suggestion of a mistake. For his part he was acting in the best interests of the ratepayers, and considered that many of Cr. Pettie’s remarks were uncalled for. Cr. Pettie: So were some of yours. It is* the first time I have ever been 1 ashamed to be on the Borough Council. Tlie motion, on being put to the meeting, was carried, the Mayor and Crs. Collins, Kirk, Maynard, Somervell and Harris voting for, and Crs. Darton, Clayton, Smith .and Pettie against it.v i

The following is the information which the Council, at its meeting on July 14th, deckled to ask its representatives on the Hospital Board of Trustees to furnish: —(1) A copy of the minute which authorised the donation ox bonuses. (2) The clause, section, or sub-section or other authority of the Hospital iand Charitable Aid Amendment Act authorising such donation. (3) A copy of the comparative statement lately issued by the chairman. (4) The appointments and salaries that have been made in the staff during the last six months. At the next meeting of the Council, on July 28, the following reply was received from Messrs J. W. Bright and E. PI. Mann: “Hospital'management—• We are in receipt of your letter of 15th inst. We think that tipon reconsideration of the matter the Council will agree with us that should information bevond what was given at last meeting of Hospital Trustees on 16th inst. still be desired on the subject, the secretary of the Board of Hospital Trustees is the fitting person to whom to apply.”