HOSPITAL HOUSE COMMITTEE

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 103, 28 October 1932, Page 11

HOSPITAL HOUSE COMMITTEE

ABOLITION MOTION LOST At a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday a motion moved by I Mrs. A. McVicar at the previous meeting to abolish the House Committee of the board was defeated on the casting [vote of the.chairman1 (Mr. F. Castle).

Mr. C. M. Luke said that experience had shown that when the main committee work was done by tho General Purposes Committee there was more harmony and the results had been more satisfactory. He would therefore support the proposal to revert to the previous system.

Dr. Campbell Begg outlined some of the reforms which had been carried out during the past year, and expressed tho opinion that to adopt tho motion moved by Mrs. McVicar would be to tako a retrograde step. It would also render .some of .the standing orders inopqra,tivc. Tho control of all largo hospitals was carried out by select committees of the boards or trustees.. Very strong arguments were needed to induce the board to depart from the system prevailing in all large hospitals. He therefore hoped the motion would be rejected.

Mrs. J. K. Preston supported the motion, and said that since the appointment of the House Committee there had. been instances of insubordination and lack of proper discipline.

Dr. Campbell Begg: That is a reflection on the medical superintendent. Mrs. Preston replied that-it was not the fault of the medical superintendent. There had been, instances where, when' complaints were made against certain members of the staff, they had stated that they would bring the matter before Dr. Campbell Begg. Under the system of small committees it meant that all the members of the board were not kept properly informed as to what was being done. ;

Mr. A. J. McCurdy_ thought it wag

wrong to ask all the members of the board to attend the niee,ti.ngs of commit-' tees 'dealing' with minor matters, many of which could be better dealt with by small or moderate-sized committees.

Mrs. MeVicar thought the proposed change, if given effect to, would lead to better work being done. The voting was as follows:—For tho motion: Messrs. E. N. Campbell, F. Castle, J. Glover, J. H. Helliwell, C. M. -Luke, G-. Petheriek, Mesdames Preston and MeViear. Against the motion: Messrs. W. Cole, A. J. MeCurdy, J. C. Bidden, E. Windley, Mesdames Chapman and Fraser, Dr. D. Macdonald Wilson, and Dr. B. Campbell Begg. The chairman said he would follow the usual custom in such cases, and give his casting vote against the motion, allowing things to remain as they were at present.

The folio-wing is the position in regard to the Red Cross Wairoa Relief Fund:— £j s. d. Already acknowledged ... 533 6 0 Waikanae Branch Bed Cross Society ......... 2 17 0 ' Total ............... 536 3 0