The Northland Age OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE FARMERS’ UNION. Published Twice a Week. Wednesdays and Fridays. Price Twopence. WEDNESDAY, JULY 18 1928. MATRON SULLIVAN.

Northland Age, Volume 28, Issue 58, 18 July 1928, Page 4

The Northland Age OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE FARMERS’ UNION. Published Twice a Week. Wednesdays and Fridays. Price Twopence. WEDNESDAY, JULY 18 1928. MATRON SULLIVAN.

Several corresp indents have ad iessed themselves to us on the su iject of the treatment meted ou to Matron Sullivan by the M ngonui Hospital Board. The q at issue is the failure of th Board to niaks public the expi .nation asked for by the Board from Miss Sullivar. If the whole mailer relating to Miss Sullivan’s departure —iirst and last had been dealt with in committee, we believe that it would have been in the best interests of all concerned. The board members, h wever, viewed the matter diffe ently and discussed Miss Sullivan with all the eloquence they were capable of employing. Although having Miss Sullivan’s resignation before them at the t me, they adopted the high handed method of practically dismissng Miss Sullivan, and then t irned round and askea why her conduct should not be reported to t te Director-General of Health ? M as Sullivan wrote an explanation which the board members did not choose to have made public. Instead of taking the matter in open board, the chairman, Mr T S Houston declared the meeting “in committee” for the purpose of having Miss Sullivan’s explanation read. Was this fair? Was this act consistent with the op,. n discussion of Miss Sullivan before she forwarded her explanation? Is it a feature of British fair play as viewed by the chairm m, and the Board members that a person may be publicly cond mined, but that his defence shall be heard “in camera.” This savours of persecution, and when t le person persecuted is a woman md a woman who gave some of the best years of her life in nursing our soldiers, then the per--1 secution is the more to be deplored. To act in this way is un_ ju.t, nndtosay nothing more severe, it is not consistent with the ordinary principles of British iustice.