THE PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Evening Star, Issue 21631, 29 January 1934, Page 11

THE PLUNKET SOCIETY.

TO THE EDITOH.J

Sir,— Having read your leading article on the statements by certain members of the council and of the Advisory Board of the Plunket Society, and especially in view of the fact that my name is mentioned in your paper I would ask of you the favour of the insertion of this letter. This same statement was submitted to me for my approval, but I declined to give it, partly because it misrepresented my attitude at the council meeting. I did not vote at the council meeting—the motion was taken _on the voices—and personally I consider Miss Pattrick has been a very loyal officer. I did not assure the dominion president that I would do everything in my power to bring about the desired result, but, after repeated requests from her to discuss the matter with Miss Pattrick’s brother, I consented to do so should he approach me; but my thought was not with a view to bringing about- his sister’s resignation. I have known Miss Pattrick now for nearly thirty years, for a large part of that time have been associated with her in'the nursing world. I would stake my own reputation on the fact that she is a woman of absolute integrity and honour and loyalty—a woman of high ideals whose one desire is to do the right thing. In all touch I have had with her in an official capacity I have noted her extreme loyalty to the executive of the council and her desire to carry out its wishes and to support it in every way possible. This is shown very clearly in a letter written to the then president in 1932. Personally I have never considered that anything in Miss Pattrick’s conduct or her work has called for reprimand, let alone her resignation. Since 1930, to my knowledge, she has not been given a single opportunity to attend a full council meeting, and thus has been deprived of knowing about, much less replying to, the complaints that have from time to time been made by the executive of the council to the full council. Any resolution passed and any statement made have thus been on the hearing of one side of the case only. I would ask that delegates go to the _ conference with an open mind, not prejudiced one way or the other by ex parte statements. The matter is of too much moment for the Plunket Society to be dealt with otherwise than by_ a, full and free discussion, so that a decision might be arrived at on the real facts. I shall be at the conference and will then bo prepared to answer any questions.—l am, etc., Anne D. Brown (nee Campbell), Once Matron of the Karitane-Harris Hospital, Dunedin. Wellington, January 26.