WOODVILLE & DISTRICT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 71, 21 February 1940, Page 10

WOODVILLE & DISTRICT

hospital board. PREVIOUS DECISION REVERSED. A special meeting of the Dannevirko Hospital Board lor the purpose of considering matters relating to the appointment of a full-time seci was held last night. The chairman (Alt ],. Stein) presided and there were ako present Alessrs R. L. Bunny, a loway, J. Miller, A. lingiand, K. HMorgan, L. G. Crosse, C. A. button, A. H. Hansen, P. C Simth and the secretary (Mr W. Dobson). It" 111 w. remembered that at the monthly meeting. last week, after a lively discussion, a resolution was declared the casting vote of the chairman: “That the resolution of March lb, 1937 ‘that when the proposed buildings’are completed the position of secretary be a full-time one and in the meantime his salary be increase £4OO per annum as from Januaiy 1, 1937, plus lj per cent. on. collections as at present,’ be rescinded. A the close of the meeting Air Bunny intimated that, acting under a misapprehension, lie had cast his \ against the motion, whereas he intended to vote in favour of it. roe chairman then ruled that six months would have to elapse before the question could be reopened, and the decision would have to stand in the meantime. . , f in opening the special meeting lasr night, the chairman said that alter the last meeting it had occurred to him that 6ome members might t> under the impression that he had taken advantage of some of the things that took place at that meeting. He assured them this had not been > case. The board, had always worked in harmony and all members had the right to express their opinions. tLo was, therefore,, quite willing to reopen the question of appointing a nil time secretary. He particularly did not want Air Bunny to ieel that he had taken advantage of the mistake. Air Crosse expressed the opinion that the motion was not law until the minutes were confirmed, and it was quite in order that the question should he reopened. Air England said lie thought that was not quite the position. The reason for reading the minutes was to certify that the secretary had correctly entered them in the book. Air Galloway ,stated that on the meeting notice received by members the chairman had put the onus of reopening the subject on to the members. In his opinion the whole thing was out of order. First, they had had a ruling that the matter could not he reopened within six months and then a ruling that it. could be reopened. He asked the chairman to state definitely his ruling on the question. The chairman: It can he reopened, provided the board has no by-law. The chairman, after travresing the events leading up to the decision he had given at the monthly meeting, said that if a member of a local body could reopen a discussion on a motion passed an hour or so previously, the whole meeting would become a farce. They could not say he had not acted honestly. He had given the matter careful thought and had decided to reopen it if members wore not satisfied. Ho had always endeavoured to treat every member fairly and squarely and if it could be proved otherwise lie would give £3O to the hospital. Air Hansen: Admitting that, you must agree that members have reciprocated in that connection. The chairman: l’es, that is so, and 1 appreciate it. Air Bunny said lie regretted having made a mistake when voting. It had been a genuine error and he had admitted it at tile time. Air Sutton said that as the member who had originally suggested that the matter be reopened, lie was pleased that course was being adopted. The chairman had ruled against it at the last meeting, but lie would point out that on a previous occasion he had been allowed to table a notice of motion to rescind a resolution passed only a montli or so before. Another point they appeared to have overlooked was the fact that one of the members was absent when the subject came up at the last meeting and lie was therefore of the opinion that the decision was null and void.

Mr Morgan: It appears that the motion I moved at the last meeting (to rescind the resolution of March 16, 1937) was out of order. If so, 1 would like to move it again. Following a lively interlude, the chairman finally ruled the motion discussed at the last meeting out of order. Mr Morgan then formally moved that the resolution passed on March 16, 1937, be rescinded. Air Crosse seconded t.he motion. Mr England moved as an amendment that the matter he reviewed in six months’ time.

Speaking to the motion, Air Smith said that he had not been on the board at the time the resolution they were proposing to rescind had been passed. Tile board, however, had been unanimous on that occasion and he was surprised that the discussion was apparently drifting against the previous decision. If a secretary was then necessary at tlie hospital, it must still be necessary that be should l>c boused there. “What are we going to look like if. having built an office at the hospital, we do not use it?” lie asked.

The chairman quoted a letter received from the Health Department in September, 1928. favouring the appointment of a full-time secretary. Continuing. Air Stein quoted figures from the hospital records indicating that the amount of fees collected Had progressively increased since 1937. He was sure that if the motion were carried the board would be making a great mistake and that within six mouths or a year they would have to appoint a full-time secretary. Ho emphasised that he bad nothing whatsoever against Air Dobson. It was purely a matter of business.

Air England stated that be bad opposed the motion localise ho thought tlie new office should he used. Ho considered all their business should be , conducted at one point. He thought, too, that some of the cost of travelling between the town and the hospital would be eliminated. In his opinion, the position of secretary was a full-time job in view of the amount of business they were handling. However, be bad moved the amendment because lie did not want to see the motion rescinded. Air Hansen said it would he a fatal mistake to be too optimistic about the future. Costs would increase if a change wore made. On this score and because of the position regarding the secretary’s superannuation, be would not favour the appointment of a fulltime secretary at the present juncture.

Air Sutton said he was still of the same opinion he had expressed at the last meeting. Though they had passed a resolution favouring a full-time secretary. they bad a perfect right to alter their minds. He thought that it would be disadvantageous to ratepayers to move the offi'Pe up to the hospital. Air Morgan said he felt they would

be very unwise to make a change at least while the war was in progress. The outlook had considerably changed since 1937. As there was no seconder to Air England’s amendment favouring review of the question in six months’ time, the chairman put the motion to rescind the resolution of March 16, 1937, to tho meeting, the voting resulting as follow:—Ayes: Alessrs Morgan, Sutton, Galloway, Bunny Crosse and Hansen ; noes, Stein, Aiiller, Smith and England. The motion was declared carried by six votes to four. The chairman stated that lie. would like the board now to consider the position regarding the secretary’s present office. He pointed out that a clerk would be required in the new office at the hospital to attend to t.he telephones and other business. The matron bad objected to having anything to do with the writing up of the register. He wished members to think over the points he had mentioned, because they were matters they would have to give consideration to the next meeting.