AN EXPLANATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10679, 28 January 1913, Page 4

AN EXPLANATION.

HUMANE SOCIETY'S AWARDS

STATEMENTS BY THE DIRECTORS

HOW THE AWARDS ARE MADE. The volumo of criticism and discussion that followed the recent awarding of gold and silver medals by the Royal Humane Society to Messrs L. Solomons and 11. Hay, two members of a life saving team, for an attempted rescue at Sumner beach, was added to yesterday, when a special meeting of the Court of Directors of the Society was called to discuss the mutter. There were present —Colonel Slater (chairman), Dr C. J. Russell, the Revs E. E. Chambers and W. S. Beau and Messrs R. C: Bishop and J. A. Frostick. THE CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. Tho chairman made tho following statement, which ho handed to the reporters : This meeting has been called at the request of a, member, owing Jto the attacks on the directors of the Royal Humane Society consequent on tho awards granted to Messrs Solomons and Hay for attempting to save life at Sumner.

Personally I do not think any ox- j planation is necessary, as I informed a I reporter who called on mo. Wo do not profess to be infallible, but, like other bodies, except perhaps- members of Swimming Associations, we may at times make mistakes; yet as regards the late Sumner case 1 do not think we erred on the evidence beforo us. Without admitting we are on our defence, I would like to refer to tho methods by which the Court of Directors arrive at their awards, if. only to contradict the statements in one of our local newspapers that they are made in a " haphazard manner." Since the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand was instituted in 1898, I have been a member of the Court of Directors, and have also been a member of the sub-committee to report on applications for awards. During >tho last fourteen years 348 cases have been, reported on. The practice, as regards applications, has been as follows:—In the first instance, the secretary goes through them, informing the applicant-when he considers it necessary that further evidence should be forwarded.- The secretary then makes a precis of each, case, and forwards the same, with the application and evidence, to the senior, member of the sub-committee, who goes through the papers, considering each application, at the same time making, for his own information, a note of the award he suggests, and his reason for doing so. Tho precis, application and papers are then sent to the second member of the sub-committee, who considers them, makes his own private notes, and forwards them to the third member, who in turn considers the application, also making his private notes thereon.

The sub-committee subsequently meets, and in the majority of cases the members are agreed as to the award to be given." When there is a difference of opinion the particular case is discussed and finally a decision is arrived at. ; In one case, a few years ago, when tlio sub-committee could not agree, it was referred "to the Royal Humane Society of England ,for adjudication. The sub-committee being agreed as to their awards a meeting of the court of directors js called, every member, with his notice, receiving a copy of the pre>cis of each case. At tho meeting the awards recommended .by'the sub-committee are as a. rule _ accepted, though in some, cases discussion arises as to the sufficiency or otherwise of an award before it is granted. ' I have: dwelt at some length on our procedure, since it has been stated that awards are made in a "haphazard manner." One,,gentleman at- a recent meeting "s£oke his long experience in matters natatorial."' In charity I will refer to him' as " the Natator." He stated: "The awards are. : made haphazard, and there is not sufficient inquiry made into .the merits and demerits of applications." He further said : " For'some time past there has been a strong feeling in regard to tlio Humane Society's awards." If " Natator " had tafcen the trouble to ascertain our procedure he would have hesitated before making his remarks on our " haphazard manner." ;

"Natator"' states that lie was' a member of the Humane Society. I find from tbe minutes he attended the first general meeting in June, 1900, but I am unable -to find from the list of the subscribers" that "Natator" ever qualified for membership by paying the small fee required. I cannot accept liim as an authority on what " frequently " occurred fit meetings. If it is true that "for some time past there has been a strong feeling in regard to the Humane Society awards," it is singular that' out of the 348 cases' that have been considered I can recall only two in -vyhich protests were_ made. ' In one a constable who was given a letter of commendation wanted a medal, which he did not get; in the other the'objector showed great personal feeling. ; I consider it due, not only to the small section of the public who subscribe to oar funds, but also to those who have worked with me for so many years, with the s sole aim of _ making our awards of value as signifying that the owner has done some brave action, to let it be generally known that at any rate we have endeavoured to do our duty and have not spared ourselves in so 'doing. . • After carefully reading the correspondence and remarks which have appeared (and I have them all in this note-book) *1 can arrive at no other conclusion than that the trouble has arisen from jealousy, owing to certain names not having been mentioned. This probably accounts for the dastardly insinuation " that the merit of the award is not in accordance with the deed, biit a matter of a rescuer's friends knowing how' to approach the Society." This may also explain the (to put it mildly) uncourteouS' remarks at the joint meeting of the Councils of the Swimming Association and of the Life Saving Society. . , . , . I have my opinion as to the medals awarded to Messrs Solomons and Hay, but will not give it unless it is considered necessary to discuss our proceedings at'the last meeting of the court of directors. ENDORSED BY OTHER DIRECTORS.

Mr Frostick said that it would add weight to the chairman's remarks to say that there had never been a case since the establishment of the Society where the court of directors had considered that a lower award should- be made than that recommended by the committee. (Hear, hear). Several times the Court had thought that the committee erred on the side of caution. Dr Russell said that correspondents of the newspapors had stated that the Society had given the highest award. This was not so, for the highest award was the Stead medal. The chairman said that it was a question whether it was dignified to go into the matter. He did not feel inclined to discuss the newspaper correspondence. It was a question whether the case should be reopened or not. Mr Frostick said that if there was to be a discussion it should be in committee.

This course was agreed on, and the Court went into committee. After discussion it was resolved that Mr Bishop should be requested to put his ideas in concise form to be added to the chairman's report, and that that being done the incident is closed." MR R. C. BISHOP'S VIEWS.

Mr Bishop then made the following statement to the reporters:—"l understand from the evidence that was laid before us that Mr Solomons and Mr Hay were giving a. demonstration in connection with swimming matters at the. time of the accident; that neither Mr Solomons nor Mr Hay is a member of the Life Saving Association, or

connected with it in any other manner than that of genera! comradeship; that on the alarm being given Mr Solomons, for instance, borrowed a bicycle and rode some hundreds of yards and then swam out (I bnlievo it was half a mile) and divod repeatedly with the object ol recovering the drowning man or ins body. This he continued to do, unfortunately without success, but had eventually to bo assisted himself, having become exhausted. As these gentlemen were simply, guests of the local Society, the consideration by the Humane Society is perfectly warranted, and it comes with very bad grace thnt tile Life Saving Society-should have interfered in the matter at all. Had they been ordinary visitors, their plucky conduct would liavo been the theme of admiration by the members of the club instead of being adversely criticised." _ The meeting then rose.