COOK HOSPITAL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17132, 7 September 1926, Page 12

COOK HOSPITAL

(To tho Edilor of the Herald.) Sir,—The report in your paper of the special meeting of the Cook Hospital Hoard held on Saturday no doubt afforded your readers much interest, and I hope, after having my comments, will provide some amusement.

During the period of over eight years which 1 occupied as Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, you have had many reports, all of which went to show the excellence and wisdom of that august body. Throughout this time 1 loyally abstained from writing to tho press to correct the many distorted versions of the truth they have blazoned forth to the ratepapers. Now, however, that 1 am out .of their service and owe them nothing, 1 intend to let your readers have the truth on the subject of the motor traffic.

As every visitor knows, the road leading to the hospital entrance is «t very narrow one, especially in front of the nurses’ home, and there are no footpaths for pedestrians, a large number of whom come up on Sundays; also the number of cars visiting has increased enormously in the last year or two: so much .so that on some Sundays they have blocked the road from in front of the Nurses’ Home and right round the oval. It has frequently been observed that in the rush to get away there have been many narrow escapes from accidents, when pedestrians had to get off the road on to the flower beds to escape being run over. I complained frequently of this danger, and some time ago the Hoard actually met and inspected the ground, and selected a spot for parking cais, after which they promptly forgot all about the matter. .A* 1 foresaw the danger and wished to avoid accidents. and as the Board would take no action, 1 determined, in the interest oi all concerned, to make an effort to regulate the traffic. Here I would like to point out lhat when I came hero first, and for several years after, the great majority of the visitors came on horseback, or in gigs and .buggies, and these turned into the horse-paddock provided for them. No complaints were made, and no membeis of the board saw any hardship, nor did they ever observe the poor mothers dragging their children through the mud -until •Mr. Coleman's tender heart was made to weep by the spectacle alter I stopped the cars! I hen tho crocodile tears began to gush, and so good an opportunity for electioneering propaganda could not he missed. 1 at the same time reported the matter to the Hoard, and requested them to meet me and discuss the matter. The paper reporting the meeting stated that the secretary was instructed by me to tell the Hoard that if I did not have iiiv way 1 would put a gate at (lie bottom of the hill and stop the traffic. This is quite untrue. I .sent no such message. 1 had no occasion to threaten the Board, as they had given me no reason to suppose that they would oppose my action; nor did I anticipate any such action. Further, I think it is well known that I do my own barking and not by deputy in the cowardly manner suggested. Two meetings have taken place since 1 reported this matter, yet I have not heard anything from the Board on the subject. Taking silence for consent. 1 proceeded. As certain motor drivers defied me, I had to put on a. gate to slop them. They then tried to run down the man stationed at the gate to control the traffic. Even then they defied me, encouraged, I have no doubt, by some Board members telling them 1 had no right to do it. I then had to call in the police and had I not the misfortune to be working for a Board lacking in support of me one or two of the offenders (including a member) would have appeared before the Magistrate, after which things would have run quite smoothly. It appears now that a committee was set up to go into the matter, and as I particularly requested that the Board would consult with me when i first reported, it shows the Board’s idea ot courtesy when I only become aware of this Committee on seeing the report of Saturday’s meeting. Yet they met and deliberated and called a special meeting. Further, file secretary is reported to have said that he notified me of that meeting by letter. It is very remiss on the part of the Post Office that the letter lias riot yet (Tuesday) reached me! The peculiar ideas entertained by the Board as to their treatment of those in their employ, especially as regards loyalty to me and their failure to back me up, are evident here, as on many previous occasions. They have undermined my authority and rendered it impossible for me to stay another day. No man with any self-respect could stand it longer. It was always my ambition to make the Cook Hospital an outstanding success, hoih in its treatment of patients and in its financial management, and had 1 been backed hv my Board 1 would have done so, and .saved many thousand pounds of the ratepayers’ money. 1 see liy the report that one member is not going to stand again. If I have in any way contributed to tins [ have earned lie gratitude of the people of Poverty Bay. 'J he hoard’s decision regarding traffic, shows that they quite failed to grasp the principle ol my contentions, viz., that the danger lies in the twoway traffic /in front vd the nurses' home, which, of course, parking ears to the right of the entrance will in no way alleviate. Are the board aware tint the space in question was years ago allocated for a consumptive home, and by parking cars there they will destroy the site? Arc they further aware that this work will he required in the near future? When I left the hospital there were twelve consumptive patients without proper means of segregation. In conclusion 1 wish to thank my friends on the hoard who have always supported me, and it is no fault of theirs that they were always in a minority. 1 particularly wish to thank m.v friend .]. Benson, one of Die lies! hackers and most loyal of supporters.1 am, etc., JOHN BOSS.