THE LATEST FETISH.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 981, 23 November 1910, Page 4

THE LATEST FETISH.

A TILT AT THE PROFESSIONAL. To Mr. G. T. London, in his official capacity as a member of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, must be awarded the credit of having discovered the latest fetish—"the fetish of the professional," as he himself described it at the monthly meeting of the board yesterday. The. acting-chairman (Mr. E. C: Kirk) had-laid on the table the report of the Children's Hospital Committee, wherein the amended plans and draft specifications were recommended lor adoption, and attention directed to the fact that Mr. London had 1 dissented from the'adoption of a trellis-work breakwind in front of the playing ground, and Mr. Trevor had recorded his preferenco for a pressed brick facing for the outward finish of tho buildings, instead of tho rough casting specified. The board's architects, Messrs. Atkins and Bacon, wero present to advise members. Somebody said something about the jarrah specification: Was jarrah to bo trusted? Was it not given to cracking?. Mr. Atkins admitted that jarrah was subject to sun-cracks, but after it had once cracked—and the crack was a very'trifling matter—jarrah. stood fast, and was immune to cracks. Then a sort of desultory discussion ensued. Mr. Atkins discussed tho respective qualities of jarrah and totara with Mr. D. liobertson, while small cabals wero held at various, points down the large board table. The Rev. H. Van Staveren sat aloof, visibly iui--patisnt. At last he . got up and protested. ■ The board hud asked nicdical' men and other experts to frame suggestions and submit plans and specifications. Why should they .want to.fly in the face of expert opinion? He was sick of the nonsense that had been talked. ■

.Mr. London was very indignant. Ho had noticed, he said, a tendency on the part of-Mr. Van staveren to attempt |o depreciate tho intelligence of, members of the committee, and lie resented it. As a member of a board charged with grave responsibilities he claimed his right .to exercise his common sense upon any question which came up for decision, whefliSr his opinion went against tho experts or not. The country was suffering from , this l'etish of tho professional, and had already wasted hundreds of pounds in its blind respect for professional opinion. He was opposed to this idea, and whether the particular matter upon which lie might express an opinion was .opposed to the experts' opinion or not,, he, nevertheless, was going to stand by it. Time would tell whether he was right, and when that time arrived, and the board stood convicted of an error of judgment concerning which he had previously warned his colleagues, he would take care to remind them of it.

Mr. Van T hope you won't send .your ghost to taunt us about these little things. (Laughter.) The plans and specifications were adopted. Tenders will be called after tlio Inspector-General of Hospitals (Dr. Valintine) has seen the plans and specifications, In the meantime 'the demolition of the present Children's Ward, and also the Pevor Ward, will be proceeded with.