THE FINAL WORD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 150, 26 June 1936, Page 9

THE FINAL WORD.

HOSPITAL RELIEF. SUPPLY OF GROCERIES. " LET DEAD BURY ITS DEAD." The last was heard of the investigation made some months back into the contract for the supply of groceries to the Auckland Hospital Board for relief purposes at a special meeting of the board last evening, when it was decided to receive the report presented on the subject by Mr. G. Grey Campbell. It was also decided to thank Mr. Campbell for his report, and that in futuic the checking of accounts incurred by the relief department be undertaken by the accountancy staff. Various phases of Mr. Campbell's report were discussed, and not a little of the comment centred on the question as to who was to blame for inaccuracies being allowed to creep into the contract —members of the staff or the relief committee. A preliminary motion moved by the chairman, the Rev. W. C. Wood, covered this aspect of the matter, but was finallv withdrawn in favour of a motion which was also moved by the chairman favouring the receiving of the report. In introducing the subject for discussion, Mr. Wood said that the section of Mr. Campbell's report dealing with charges for grocery supplies requiring adjustment due to a rise and a fall in juices seemed to him to have been finalised as a result of a voluntary payment by the contractor and arbitration. The other section of the report dealing with matters of administration had been presented by Mr. Campbell to the administration committee, and he hoped the committee would be in a position in a few days to release it together with its own findings. The Staff Remiss. As a basis for discussion Mr. Wood then moved: "That in view of the thorough investigation held in connection with matters relating to the relief groceries contract and the settlement by arbitration of over-charges, the board records its regret that the investigator felt justified in finding those responsible for the checking of the accounts were remiss, but recognises thftt the staff were working under very considerable difficulties; and further that in view of the changes already made and the fact that similar conditions are not likely to occur in the future, the board declare the matter closed."

Mr. Wood said that the staff had been working under overcrowded conditions, but* the conditions had since been improved. He wished to emphasise that the board viewed the question in a very serious light. The board had already expressed its indebtedness to Mr. W. G. Mulholland, who had brought the matter of the grocery contract forward. Personally at the outset he did not think there was anything in the matter and he had every confidence in the staff, but now Mr. Mulholland had proved his case and the result was that the board was nearly£looo better off than it would otherwise have been. The subject, however, seemed to have been brought to finality in a very fair and proper way, and no good purpose could be served by reiterating the facts. Mr. Wood referred to clauses in the report which charged the ofltcers of the board with failing to take steps to ascertain what the prices were for items subject to market fluctuations and attributed certain conditions which arose to failure to advise the Relief Committee of the position, and commented that his sympathies were with the staff as lie considered that at the time they were working under unsatisfactory conditions. "It seems to me, however, that we cannot ignore the fact that the investigator makes these observations so far as the staff is concerned, "lie added. "It also appears that we might meet the circumstances without wishing to bb harsh or unkind by expressing regret that the investigator felt justified in charing the staff with these remissions. Rise and Fall in Prices. Mr. H. E. Potter seconded the motion pro forma. The position disclosed was not altogether the fault of the staffit was the result of ah unfortunate mistake made by the committee in not taking the rise and fall in prices into consideration in connection with the contract. The committee, he contended, must take some of the responsibility. Dr. E. 13. Gunson said that under the present system the onus of checking the prices rested on the recipients. Mr. Potter maintained that the accountancy department of the board should do the checking and not the relief officers, who had quite enough to do. The chairman intimated that he intended to move in the direction suggested by Mr. Potter, and later in the meeting the motion providing for the accountancy department to conduct the checking was carried. Mrs. M. M. Dreaver said it was just as well to bury the subject decently, but she did- not like to see the blame put on members of the staff when they were told by the relief commmittee what they should do. In dealing with the rise and fall in prices, Mr. Mulholland said that the tenderers knew the conditions under which they were catering and there was no provision for a rise and fall in those conditions. The board might be operating under similar conditions, but the board, the purchasers of goods and the suppliers knew that they had right on their side in charging the rise and fall on articles. The chairman was trying to be merciful and kind to the staff, which he (Mr. Mulholland) thought had made errors. An endeavour had been made to make the relief department the chopping block for the discrepancies, but he did not think that department was entirely to blame. He trusted that the staff was working better, and, further, he believed that had the discussion on the report been brought on earlier several members of the staff would have received the just rap over the knuckles that was due to them. As a member of the relief committee he was not going to shelter behind the staff, said Mr. G. T. Parvin. The view that it was a mistake to go into the question as to who were most to blame was expressed by the chairman. Time had softened their feelings and he would wipe out his original motion and move merely that the relief committee's report on the relief supplies, as presented by Mr. Grey Campbell, be received. This motion was carried and discussion closed. With regard to the second section of Mr. Campbell's report it was decided on the motion of Dr. Gnnson to ask the administration committee to prepare its report and, after circularising it among members, to present it at a special meeting of the board.