AN IMPASSE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 193, 17 May 1928, Page 8

AN IMPASSE

DEPARTMENTS VETO TWO APPOINTMENTS

BOARDS CONCERNED KEEP TO DECISIONS UNUSUAL SITUATIONS Recently, two important appointments were made, those of Dr. B. Ewen to be medical superintendent of the Wellington Hospital, by the Wellington Hospital Board, and of IMr. E. K. Lomas to be principal of the Training College, by the Wellington Education Board. Both appointments have been vetoed, the former by the Department of health, and the latter by the Department of Education. In both cases, the boards responsible are not disposed to give way.

A “Dominion” representative gathered yesterday that the Department of Health has communicated with the Hospital Board objecting to the appointment of Dr. Bnylden Ewen as medical superintendent, in succession to Dr. D. M. Wilson, on the ground that the appointment was not made in Accordance with the regulations. The objection is not based on personal grounds. The portion of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Amendment Act, 1926, dealing with appointments, is clause 38, paragraphs 1 and 2, which are as follow:— “(1) No appointment of any medical officer (including an honorary medical officer), or of a matron, master, manager, or engineer of an Institution under this Act, or of the secretary to a board, shall be made until the expiration of 21 days after the Minister has been notified of the intention to make such appointment, unless the Minister has previously approved a proposal to make such appointment. (2) Before notifying to the Minister its intention to make anj appointment, as aforesaid, the boaid shill forward to the Minister a list of the applicants, and the Minlstei shall, as soon as conveniently may be, submit to the board for its guidance, such reports and recommendations as he thinks fit, and the board shall give due and fair consideration to sucn recommendations before making any aP Tbe taken by the Hospital Board was to advertise the position in ae usual way. Applications were received, And were brought before the board at a special meeting held on Ufay 3 when it was decided to appoint D . Ewen, assistant medical ent at the hospital, to the position. In due course the board submitted the appointment of Dr. Ewen to the. Minis er of Health for approval, together vith the names of the applicants for the position. This procedure, •» held, does not conform with the Act, according to which the board should, upon the close of a i , plications, have forwarded a list of the applicants to the Minister, waiting foi 21 days for any reports and recommendations the Minister might desire to make, and to which the board was required to give “due and fair consideration.” The Act does not make it obligatory upon the board to appoint the applicant recommended by the Mm--I#,tTlie next meeting of the board will take place on May 31, when probably the matter will be put in order and the appointment made in accordance with the Act.

TRAINING COLLEGE

PRINCIPAL

The Wellington Education Board yesterday decided to adhere to its previous decision recomniending the appointment of Mr. E. K. Lomas as principal of the Training College. The matter arose on the iccommenflation of the Appointments Committee, "That the board adheres to its previous decision, the .Department in its memorandum of April 24 and May 3 having "iven no reason which would justify any variation of tlrfi -original selection made by the Committee of Advice and confirmed by the board.” _ The recommendation was discussed in committee at some length, in which the Department's attitude was explained by Inspector Strachan. After debating tlie matter the recommendation was carried and confirmed in open board. , i The present position is that there is a* deadlock between the board and the Department on the subject.