AUCKLAND'S POSITION

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 136, 5 December 1929, Page 11

AUCKLAND'S POSITION

DESIRE FOR AUTONOMY

NEW EULE PROPOSED

1 ■ The adjournod meeting of the New Zealand Cancer Campaign Committee, for the purpose of considering the ■' changes in tlio rules suggested by Auck- "■" land, was held yesterday afternoon. Tho president (Dr. Elliott) presided, and there weri. also present Lady Luke, ■ Mrs. Parke (Auckland), the Mayor (Mr, ' G. A. Troup), Mr. G. Baildon (Mayor of Auckland), Sir Louis BarneH (Dun- : edin), Mr. G. Shirtclifi'e, the Hoii. Dr. Colling, M.L.C., Mr. P. Fraser, M.P., " and Mr. E. Darroch, secretary. Apologies for absence were received from Sir Lindo Ferguson (Dunodin), Sir Heaton Ehodes, Sir James Gunson, and Messrs. C. M. Luke (chairman of Wellington ••■ Hospital Board), W. D. Hunt, Wallace (chairman of Auckland ■ Hospital - Beard), M, Knight (chairman of the : Ctago Hospital Board), and Otley (chairman of North Canterbury Hos..pital Board). Dri Elliott said that the principal . matter at issue was whether there should be a central controlling body, or \vhcT ther each division should have complete ,'. autonomy. They now had divisions in V" Wellington, Canterbury, and Dunedin; Z and steps were being taken to form „ an Auckland Division. The parent ■ body in the Old Country held that there should be central control in such mat-....ters-in order to prevent overlapping ',7. and'loss of efficiency in research work. "'[ THE PROPOSED ALTERATION. „.. The present rule read:—"The Cen- ,_, tial Committee shall continue in office , c ' until the annual general meeting of the - : - society to bo held in the year 1930 on a «■; day fixed by tho committee. At such ,-,. annual general meeting a central com- .. mittee shall be elected to hold office 2 until'the next annual meeting, and so . oil from year to year. Casual vaean- "■■ cies may be filled up by a Central Com- .;,, mittee themselves," but any person ap- + \ pointed to a casual vacancy snail hold ,'., office only until the next generalmeet- '' ing. If, however, at any annual gen- _. eral meeting no new committee be elect- ."> ed, or if the vacancies be not filled up, „„ the then existing Central Committee '„' and its members shall remain in office until its or their successors aro duly _•. elected; at a general' meeting. Any j. member of an existing committee shall "„*.' be eligible for re-election.'' Mr. Mac- ;: kenzie (hon. solicitor to tho society) _„.had drafted the following alternative . .".rule to meet the wishes of the Auckland 'J: people: "The first Central Committee v" shall continue in. office until the annual _V.general meeting of the society to be "V. held in the year 1930 on a day to be lixed by the committee. .Thereafter f., ; the Central Committee shall consist of '„" two delegates appointed by each division constituted in the manner by these rules T," provided. Delegates appointed by a _,"" division may be selected by that' clivi- "... siort in such manner as the rules of the 1' division provide.. Delegates appointed °.~ by a division shall bo notified to the '". .secretary one month prior to the hold ;. ing of the annual general meeting in each year." The principle of equal representation of the divisions was generally approved. Sir Louis Barnett suggested that, as ■ was the rule in the 8.M.A., if delegates • from any centre were unable to attend ; spy' meeting they should have power to . . appoint _ deputy delegates, who might .:- 1)3 Wellington people, to act and vote in accordance with the instructions of r-- their division. 1 . Dr. Elliott agreed with tho suggestnn. .-.--.- 3li-- Shirteliffe thought there should be three delegates from each centre. 2 QUESTION OF CO-OPTION. -"■-.Mr. Fraser suggested that there should bo some means of having medical men, who wero keenly interested in ... and had a more intimate knowledge of .the problems involved in the cancer . campaign, co-opted on to the Central - Committee. - ■ Dr- Elliott agreed that the Central •■. Committee might bo strengthened by r; having hi it two or three medical men :.- who were specially interested iii the - .work, The chairman of tho four big -y. hospital boards and the Mayors of the <- four chief centres wero ex offlcio mem..Mrs of the committee. He suggested •.-that each division might havo power ■: to co-Opt, say, six medical men as lnem- : uei-s of the committee, in addition to .•-■■ tneir four delegates, thus keeping the t .; balance even between the different divij ; tiona. ... Sir Louis Baruett urged that such .members should form a separate com- ■■; mittee, like a sort of Upper House. Mrs. Parke preferred that they should ... constitute an advisory committee. ■■•. Mr. Eraser suggested that there - - Should be power to co-opt not more than - four in all. He would not like to see :.. tlie Central Committee made too un--1... wieldy. -.: : Sir Louis Baruett said that the diffi- -'" ■ tt lt^. ln. 1? llt be go* over by empowering = < the divisional Committees to co-opt such : advisory members. It. was decided to recommend the al- -' ti ta?T o£^ c rules so as to provid ° -..-..that three delegates should be appoint- • cd.on the Central Committee by each ... division; the Mayors of the four chief ■ - c!. le? >aa chairmen of the four ; chief hospital boards to be ex offlcio ■•'. members of the committee; deputy dele- *=. gates to be appointed when necessary. "CLEARED THE AIR." r ' ..Mr-., ShiitoliflEo asked if, in view of the alteration now recommended in "-rules, the Auckland people would still i--- desire complete autonomy for their divi- -'.- -_■ SIOII. Mrs. Parke said that, without complete autonomy, they would not go on •_ witn the formation of a division. After some discussion of the matter iJr. Elliott said that he thought that ■■ ■'■ a 6 ,d, ebate had cleared the air; if the - : Auckland representatives present would „ go back to Auckland and explain that -i-* he constitution of the Central Commit- .-.- tee. had been altered to meet their de- .: 5. 1. r0, ? or e lual representation of the ..dmsxons Auckland would come into „ line, as the other divisions had already ■■* fi if not> v would be a ereat Pil:y. -: fS' Auckland would cut itself off from ": alf th^ Perial + .Cancer Campaign and lose _..-. all the prestige and inspiration to be . tlenved from association with that .■ movement; and it would also, to some •- tft^w' rippl^ the movement through- ... out the Dominion. Central control was ■ ; considered absolutely essential by the , , Parent body at Home, in order to secure , t proper co-ordination and efficienev in .i. c.search work» ii Propaganda, and so on. i, The present rules provided that in gen- . .be spent in the locality concerned but '-"l° neA p?erTisioa was be exercised - by.the Central Committee to prevent . overlapping and ensure that the various .; divisions did not forget the importance V; oftho^ central research work. Auck- ;' ' ]fc.nd was quite- clear on the necessity ;.; for not overlooking that research workJ( for Auckland was proposing to retain (o per cent, of the funds raised there for local purposes and give 25 per cent, towards general research work. He thought that if the Central Committee got that 25 per cent, it would be doing very well. The Auckland representatives said .that they would put those, considerations ."■ before the Auckland people; and they

autonomy.

felt confident that whatever misunderstanding might havo existed would be cleared up.