HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 72, 24 March 1908, Page 5

HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS.

HONORARY OEFK233S' PROTEST,

"BASE* EvGKATITtIDE."

Air yesterday afternoon's meeting of the Auckland Hospital and Charitable J ;Aid 'Board ra --snim discussion«follbwed the reading of.a letter from Drs. E. D. MacKellar,-W.G.'ScDtt, and-Eofaerfc Bedford, which'read-as follows:-— "As :our report has -influenced the Board but-little in ■their<&oice>of candidates for -the vacascies oa the Jionorary staff, we are-forced-to 'suppose that the Board considers ly-law JTo. IT «o be little more thaa a courteous formality. Xo -say that we -• are surprised hardly expresses our when we found Dr. -Eoberton had. not been re--appointed. ,We -consider- his .absence a' seridus loss to the institution;; more .especially-at a time like the pres- ! ent, when new and important schemes are being-carried out. In i&e daily routine of liospital work his; judgment and experience will ie greatly missed;-in almost every department. We.need hardly point out tfiat this matter affects the . general community. iWe..have no wish to go beyond or try to force, our opinions upon: the Board, but 'we feel it to be a matter of duty to the public,' the Board, and ourselves to say that it,seems to.us that if time and experience, and hard work, given to the Hospital, cannot secure- a reasonable tenure of office, and a becoming recognition of disinterested services, medical men whose assistance might be valuable will be discouraged from taking the same active interest in "£he institution, or /will even show a disclinatioh to Join. the: staff at all." . Dr. 'SlcDowell also wrote, . thanking the Board for having elected him to the honorary consulting staff of the Hospital, but stating that he "had"no intention at the time "of his. nomination of coming into conflict with Br. Eoberton, his object being to apply for the vacancy caused "by the resignation of Dr. Bull. ' ■ ■'' The Chairman: "I feel that I must say "samething in reply to this Jetter from the honorary consulting -staff. -T-if eel "that it Is -a "slap -in • the face -to •'the-com-inittee. The honorary medical staffs! duty is to see that the men appointed tire of proper -statusi -Twelve - months I ago -recommendations *came ibef ore this Board on the same • subject, which, Tiad "they been adopted, would have Janded the' Board-in.considerable difficulties."' .'■' '-Mr. 3Lu J. -Bagnall said he agreed that. •Hie consulting , had a perfect right j to 'express, their opinion., -Ex. Eoberton 1 might express surprise that he had been left off the. honorary consultiog staff. The Chairman:: "We _have 'plenty aof .young ine&ical men in Auckland "who der serte opportunities such as this, and I am of tfie -opinion they should be provided with that opportunity. These •young men Trill- be only too pleased* to xget into , the Hospital, ,'fot their -own. iprivate practices are not such" ;as"to provide the opportunities to "be'ldund in the Hospital It is'for" that-reason other medical men 'prefer to "stick to the positions, affording as "they do "such chances to study "surgical- and other cases."' ' ' .. '' ' ' -' ' Mr. l<. J- Bagnall said, he felt 'very [strongly on the matter; and he believed ! a serious wrong haid been ■done." . The I facts were that Dr. Bull ! had found it ' necessary, and it was-necessary 4-tp elect "someone in "his.stead, £6- Hold I'ofSce for tKe "rest of the -term. TJr: Übbfertson had completed the term ■'he was elected, -and the : person• to be! : elected in. his place would te'entitlea to ! i' occupy the position -for a -full-period of J threeyeaSs. To: properly fill-these vacancies it was : necessary to Oiave a ■separate election ; for each! This was not done, and the election, in hie opinion, was-infor-mal. He regretted, that anyi muddle had arisen, and, the fauity procedure wats responsible for the very serious mistake which had been made in rejecting Dr. Roberton-from the position T»6ich Die had held with conspicuous abflity for. many; years. Dr. Roberton was admitted to be at the top of his .profession, and as an administrator of hospital affairs-he had in the Dominion. ;He had not spajred himself, in carrying out the j onerous duties of chairman of the -honorary etafE, and these valuable services' ■were igrrenrwithout -fee or -reward. -He thought. -that what- had been done. was only the ■ outcome of an. unfortunate mistake, and not the deliberate intention of the-Board, if the latter, it could-: only be lookeSi upon as base ingratitude, anH ;B.serwos. reflection.upon the intelligence j and fitness of the members. It could' [not be.too strongly impressed upon the i Board hovr important were the services ■ required of the hpn. staff, and in -Ms j opiidbn. «Ie Board toot" upon itself a Trery serioua .responsibility in appoiiitmg young and inexperienceid officers. At the hospital they iad materials ■which, 'given "weak or "injudicious "discipline and control, would lead to seriens results arid jHiblic scandals. The present twelve members of the surgical and medical "staffj included nine young men and one young woman, aifij he believed, that in the interests of all "con-" ; cerned they shtttild seek a greater .proportion of that wisdom anil security usually associated with sge "and experienoe. Bfe "mcrvedt " TKit question of the validity- of the election of-members of the honorary "staff to fill the vaca»cies caused by the' resignation of Dr. Bull andtheTetarement of Robertson, through expiration bf time," Ye referred to the Board's solicitors for their advice- M Dr. Rutherford: You say "base ingratitude." Does that refer to the r aetion of the J committee ?' Mr. BagnaU: I assert that such is the case, if the Board did this thing delib- . The Qiadnaan: That-is a shrr "on the whole -committee. Mr.-Bagnall:-I have aio wish to "cast-a slux at aIL; " The Chainnaii: Remarks of the kind are quite uncalled for. You ■. were- yourself absent when this matter was dealt wrth. If you felt so .sferongly upon it, you should have made, a point of being present. I always plitce duty 'before personal pleasure. ; ; -Mr. Bsgnall: I object to statements of that kind. At the tans I was away from Aueldand on account of my iiealth. r The Chairman -replied $ba.t the eteetion of Drs. McDo«rell and Sweet to the vacancies -was not carried on "a' casting vote, or anything of the kina, but "the majority in favour of these officers was a very decided one. It was easy to speak in strong language about anything. He could speak strongly-about the terrible mortality 1 amongst children,. and that was one reason why he was "lad to_see Dr. Sweet on the-staff, since that officer was .an .authority on chfldsen'e dis<»ases- -/ -. '. ■ ■ Mr. Bagnall's motion -was not secoeded md the letter!fioml>is.-MacK:eßar, Scott tnd Bedford -wae smtpiy reewrod.