THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1934. THE PLUNKET SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22195, 23 February 1934, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1934. THE PLUNKET SOCIETY

Fkom however many angles it might be viewed, the question which was the subject of prolonged discussion yesterday at a general conference of the organisation. popularly known as the Plunket Society was exceedingly simple. It was the'question whether the council of the Society was to be master in its own house and whether it was exceeding its authority in deciding, upon what seemed to it to be good grounds, to ask for the resignation of one of its officers. To this question there could be only one possible answer. As the Minister of Health put it, it is a fundamental principle in the good government of all associations that the servants of an organisation shall adapt themselves to the responsible executive entrusted with the government of that organisation for the time being. But it was complained, in effect, that the method which the council, representative of branches throughout the whole Dominion, adopted in conveying to the director of its nursing services the intimation that her resignation was considered by it to be desirable was so abrupt as to be almost indistinguishable from a summary dismissal. It does not really appear that there was a great deal of substance in this complaint. A member of the council, Mrs Harding, said that measures were taken to see that the resignation was effected with as little pain as possible to the officer concerned, and a dispassionate consideration of the facts supports this view, as the generous nature of the provision for her superannuation also does. Nevertheless, it was unquestionably in the interest of the society itself, since some of its branches were clearly exercised in mind over the step which the council had taken and over the procedure that was followed in taking the step, that a bridge should be established between the two points of view. To this end the council accepted at the conference a resolution which was less favourable to itself than to the officer whose services it regarded.as no longer indispensable to it. Under this resolution the services of the officer are retained for six months during which period she will give to her successor the benefit of the wide experience she has had and she will then retire upon the financial terms already proposed by the council. It would seem to be a matter of regret that the resolution did not include an express acknowledgment on the part of the conference

that the council did not exceed its powers in acting as it did, for the council is placed in an intolerable position if it is liable to be called to task at a special general conference upon adopting in good faith any decision which it believes to be in the interest of the society.but does not meet with the concurrence of all the branches. After all, it is the interest of the society that is of paramount importance. It would be the height of absurdity to suggest that the council, deeply involved as it is with all the honourable traditions of a remarkable organisation, would deliberately take any step. which would be prejudicial to the society. Even if it erred in the particular instance which led to the holding of the conference, it must be credited with a burning desire to carry on faithfully and efficiently the great work that has been handed on to it.