DOCTOR’S PETITION

Southland Times, Issue 18935, 23 September 1920, Page 5

DOCTOR’S PETITION

OSTRACISED BY B.M.A. PARLIAMENT ASKED FOR LEGAL REMEDY. (Special to the Time?.) WELLINGTON, September 22. The affairs of the British Medical Association were discussed in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Dr H. C. haulke, of Wellington, had petitioned the House, asking—(l) That provision should he made during the ji resent. session for the right of appeal by a medical practitioner to the Supreme Court against the decision of the British Medical Association, New Zealand Branch; and (2i that legislation should lie introduced making illegal the boycotting of a medical practitioner who was not a member of the Association but who was on the medical roll, by the members of the Association.

The A to L Petitions Committee recommended the first clause of this petition for the favourable consideration of the Government.

The chairman of the committee (Mr Wright l said that. Dr Fattlke had been a | member of the Association. There had been i some difference of opinion between Dr ' Fanlkc and the Association, and he had bean charged by the executive of the Association with unprofessional conduct. He | had denied that, charge, and eventually was 1 expelled from ;he Association. After he had I been expelled he was ostracised, and other 'doctors would not work with him except in ' extreme eases where life and death were 1 involved. The donor was asking now that 1 in hi? ease and similar rase? the medical ■practitioner who was expelted from the Association should have the right of appeal to the Supreme Court. There was no right of ; appeal at present owing to the fact that, the 1 British Medical Association wa? an ur.regis-

1 tr-rcd body, and therefore could not he proi cecded against at law. If the Assoriat ion ; were registered aygrieved perrons would be j able to appeal to the courts. The rommitj tee h;trl been informed that in Britain the I right of pp n al in such cares existed. 1 lie I petition, added Mr Wright, involved the i status of certain flea-tors who had been im- | ported from Britain hy the, friendly .societies. These doctors- were doing the work of the i sicietics, and they had been placed under | the ban by I lie Medical Association. They | would have a right of appeal under the reI eom mend atto n of the committee. Ihe mcm- ; hers of the committee bad not considered i it necessary to deal with the second part of | the petition, since a remedy would be proi vided if the right of appeal to the Supreme i Court existed. | Mr B. N. Bertram (Grey Tynn i told the ; House that from a unionist's point of view he had to congrat "late the members of the i Association on their exhibition of ‘'class i consciousness and union solidarity.’ Ihe I committee had hern told that the doctors i imported by the friendly societies were really '“scabbing” on the doctors’ union. The ' evidence had shown that the Medical Asso- | nation was Irving to induce these doctors Ito break their agreements. Hr Gibb- had I told the committee that if contracts were ! made without, the full knowledge of the | flirts repudiation of the contracts was jusli- ! liable. .Members ol (he House would recall j that when a Babour leader said, To hell | with agreements,'’ very loud protests were 1 made.

Mr AVright ; Hr Gibbs s-arccly went as far as that. Mr Bertram: 1 think be did. The committee’s recommendation wr ' s adopted.