WILD WORDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1088, 29 March 1911, Page 9

WILD WORDS.

AT THE HOSPITAL BOARD. 1: v OVER A HOLIDAY. When it met last month, the Hospital j Board had before it a recommendation from its Charitable Aid Committee that '< the superintendent of charitable aid j (Mr. Truebridge) should be granted his l annual holiday leave of three weeks. At * the instance of Mr. Hindmarsh, con- 5 sideration was deferred pending coasidera- j tion of a report from tho committee on < the relations obtaining between members of the administrative staff. The report was considered and dealt with, but the board ultimately adjourned without reverting to tho holiday application. Yesterday the matter was brought up at a special meeting of the board by Mr. M'Ewan, who stated that ho had been instructed by the Charitable Aid Committee to recommend the board to grant Mr. Truebridge his holiday. Mr. Baldwin objected to the proposal being entertained. It was not in proper form, and some members of the board were absent. An Overdue Holiday. "These holidays aro overdue in any case," remarked Mr. M'Laren, "and whatever may bo disclosed at the inquiry it would be', rather a 'small' thing to stop the superintendent's holidays." Mr. Van Stavercn supported this view. Mr. Baldwin contended that, until a meeting had been called in proper form, the. question could not be put. The Chairman: "I must rule against you, Mr. Baldwin, It is a routine matter." At the request of Mr. Hindmarsh the minutes "of previous proceedings were read. Immediately afterwards the chairman (Air. R. 0. Kirk), when entering upon an explanation was arrested by a request from, Mr. Hindmarsh that ho should stand up if he wanted to make a speech. "It is'not usual for the chairman to rise on such an occasion," retorted Air. Kirk, "and it is not usual for to cast reflections on the chairman." Mr. Hindmarsh: "Yes, it is." Continuing, Air. Kirk said that fho secretary had apparently omitted to minute a resolution, passed at tho previous meeting, viz., that consideration of the holiday recommendation should be postponed until the report of a committee had been dealt with. Mr. Robertson hoped that Air. Hindmarsh would not attempt such an arbitrary action "as to try to do a poor man out of his holiday in fine weather." "Well, You be Careful!" ' "That is not the position at all," declared Air. Hindmarsn. The position was (ho went on to state) that at the last meeting of the board a resolution was passed dealing with this matter. What the resolution was would have to be determined when tho minutes came up for confirmation. It was very arbitrary of the chairman to rule that tho matter was now open for discussion. Tho speaker was not personally opposed to Air. Truebridge, but it often happened that one had. to mention people's names in supporting a principle. On the other hand, he was very much opposed to the way in which a committee "went on" at the last meeting of the board. Now, ho contended, an even worse thing was being done. After somo further remarks, Air. Hindmarsh proceeded to state that Mr. Kirk, from liis chair, actually pretended to say what Was done at the last meeting. ; Air.- yah Stavercn rose to a point of order. He hoped that members would uphold the chair. Tho chairman ruled that Air. Hindmarsh was in order. . "I will say something pretty nice about you in a minute if you arc not pretty careful," resumed Mr. Hindmarsh, turning to Mr. Van Stavcren., , , .; Mr. Van Stavereii: 'I don't care' what you say. j Sir. Hindmarsh: I have a number of little things about the ancient board which I will bring out some day.- . Mr. Van Stavercn: You do! I have nothing to hide. : Air. Kirk: Address the chair! Mr. Hindmarsh (to Mr. Van Stavercn): Well, you be careful! Mr. Nash thought that tho matter should be held over until the committee set up to investigate staff matters had renorted. Air: London thought that Mr. Hindmarsh had taken un a wrong position. The truth was that Air. Truebridge's application for leave of absence had not been considered at tho previous meeting. The board was now' asked to repair its neelects. • Messrs. Al'Laren and Smith supported that position. Mr. Baldwin reiterated his former objection. Mr. Trevor thought that Jfr. Truebridge was entitled to his holiday. There were fifteen members present. . ' Aliss Richmond agreed that there had been an oversight at tho previous meeting.. . Was it Insubordination? Speaking as one of those who had voted at the previous meeting against granting 'the holiday, Air. Alcore said that lie was satisfied that the report brought down on that occasion dealt with friction between Air. Truebridge and the late secretary. There had also been a statement before the board that Mr. Truebridge had said (under examination by the committee) that ho would not obey tho head officer of the board. It appeared- to the speaker to be a case of insubordination. To give a man a holiday under such circumstances would be inconsistent with rules, customs, and all sensible procedure. They had heard it! said at the last meeting that the superintendent of charitable aid should ue granted as exclusive a control, in his own domain, as tile medical superintendent in his. The test of that would be to ask the respective gentlemen to change places. The place which Mr. Truebridge held could bo filled by any intelligent layman, but how many could fill the medical superintendent's place? If the board now granted this holiday, it would become a laughing stock in the community —a body that did not know its own mind. It was true that the resolution -passed at the previous meeting involved a reflection on Mr. Truebridge, but it was a reflection that those who voted for the resolution desired deliberately' to make. The Chairman Challenged. Mr. Kirk: The only question is whether a majority of members think that my recollection of what occurred in tho late proceedings is correct. Does any member desiro to move that my ruling be disagreed with ? Mr. Hindmarsh: "Yes, I do, on the ground that you have not correctly stated what took place. It is only a question of memory. 1 say that a chairman is entitled to rule on questions of procedure only, and not to say what facts arose at a certain meeting. Continuing, Mr. Hindmarsh traversed the different versions of what had happened at the previous meeting. The board was getting into a hopeless muddle over this matter. If it had been allowed to stand over, and come up a fortnight hence, the report from the committee appointed to make investigations would have been in hnnd, and, quite possibly, ! tho board could have exonerated Mr. Truebridge. Then everything would have been right. But the chairman was defy- ' ing. a certain section of this board. Mr. Nash seconded. Ah. Kirk said that Air. Hindmarsh was 1 right in his contention that the chalr- ' man could rule only on questions of procedure, and not on matters of fact. In I this case, however, the minutes had not been- confirmed, and the duty devolved upon the chairman of deciding whether tho resolution that , had been brought down was a proper one. Air. Godber supported the resolution. "You Are Not Worth Noticing." I Mr. Van Stavcren said that he assumed [ Air. Hindmarsh, in his references to tho speaker,- had "garnished his language s with verisimilitude." He (the' speaker) hild been for thirty years a public man, ' and if there was anything at all against his character ho hoped the whole cotn- ' munity would be made aware of it. Afr. "Hindmarsh: "On reconsideration, I don't think you are worth noticing. ' Touching the business before the mcetj ing, Mr. Van Stavoren_ said that it was , remarked by members, just after the pro- > vious meeting, that one thing had been [ overlooked—the question of Mr. Truebridge's leave,

"I think the members of the Charitable Aid Commitleo must bo ljypnotis-otl by fhe head of that department," said Mr. Moore, soon afterwards. The motion Hint the chairman's ruling he disagreed with was defeated by seven votes to five. Mr. Truebridge Gets His Holiday. Jinking a brief reply to remarks Upon the original proposal, to grant -Mr. 1 ruebridge his holiday leave, Mr. M'Kwan insisted that, apart from any question of decorum and the rest of. it, Mr. I.ruebridge was entitled to his holiday, there was a tendency on the part of the board to beeonie a mere debating society. li should seek to rise to n higher level. Eventually it was agreed 011 the voices that Mr. Truebridge be granted his holiday leave of three weeks.