T.B. CONTROL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16819, 23 August 1922, Page 8

T.B. CONTROL.

DR BLACKMORE’S POSITION. KEEN DEBATE BY HOSPITAL BOARD. Control of tuberculosis institutions and an interview with Dr G. J- Blackmore that appeared in the ” Star formed a. subject of keen discussion at to-day’s meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board. The special committee reported that it had discussed with Dr Blackmore the question' of the directorship ol the tuberculosis institutions, and that Dr Blackmore had stated that he could not see his way to satisfactorily carry out the duties of director of all the tuberculosis institutions under the board’s control. The committee had no recommendation to make. The Hon R. Moore, M.L.C., chairman of the committee, said that he wished to make a statement. During the whole time he had been a member of the Hospital Board he had never had such an unpleasant duty to perform as he had with his colleagues of the joint committee. "While that was so, he hoped that lie had approached the business quite free from personal feeling: he believed thev had all approached it from a constitutional point of view and without personal feeling. Members knew that from the time Dr Blackmore had come into the service of the board very peaceful relations had existed, n.nd that Dr- Blackmore had been given every assistance. Not a single member had said anything to reflect on Dr Blackmore. Having said that, he regretted exceedingly Dr Blackmoite had been so badly advised that, while an officer of the board, he had appealed to the public through the public Press with reference to the administration of the board. If Dr Blackmore had resigned his position as an officer of the board and then entered into communication with the newspapers, criticising the board, he would have been quite within his rights!

“ NO RIGHT TO CRITICISE.” /f Hut' 1 say,” continued Mr Moore,} 1 tl that no officer of the hoard has <1 right whilst an officer of the board to criticise the administration of the board in the public press. AN hat would we say it the superintendent or the secretary gave a column of criticism to the general public of what the board was doing. If this is going to be allowed, you are going to bring about a state of chaos as far as the Hospital Board is concerned. It has always been recognised that officers of the board work with the board without entering into controversy with the board through the public press.” Referring to certain paragraphs in the interview given by Dx- Blackmore, Mr Moore said the board more than once had been quite unanimous in deciding that it should not have dual control of the T.B. institutions, and Health Department officials were of the same opinion. Even Dr Blackmore at one time said he considered it would not be advisable to have dual control. Dr Blackmore, in his interview, was contradictory. He said the board never gave any valid reason for desiring to have both the institutions off Cashmere under one control, and that, in his opinion, the institutions must be separate. Further on in the interview, Dr Blackmore said lie had on several occasions pointed out that when the military sanatorium became available for civilian patients it would enable him to separate the sexes, placing the men m one part and the women in another It was obvious that Dr Blackmore had n*. idea of asking the board to plaxie someone else in charge of the military sanatorium.

Air S. Andrew: What are.you quoting from ? Mr Moore: From a communication given to the “ Lyttelton Times ” and “ Star.” Dr Blackmore went on to say. “ J a in entirely at a loss to undersold the hostility lately shown to me personally by certain members of the Board.” Mr this statement was a reflection on members of the hoard. There was no personal animus against Dr Blackmore. and every member had the most friendly feeling towards him. THE QUESTION OF SALARY. There had, said Air Aloore, been a difference of opinion in reference to the raising of Dr Blackmore Vs salary, and pome members had spoken firmly and plainly, but not with a view to hurting the feelings of Dr Blackmore. He would place what the board had done for Dr Blackmore before the public with extreme regret, but it was necessary. In 1910. Dr Blackmore entered the service of the board, and he was paid 9300 a year. The Rev J. K. Archer: Is it fair to go into this? Mr Aloore* Yes. If is. Airs K. Page: It is a great pity Air Aloore said he regretted to have to discuss the question of salary, but ho was not going to have members of the board reflected on by officers of the hoard without placing the position he fore the public the hoard represented. After a time. Dr Blackmore’,s salary was increased to £450, and later on the board built him a residence. From August 13, 1913, till 1918 his salary was £BOO a year. In April. 1918. his salary was increased to £1250, and in addition he received free firing and free .lighting, and he paid no rates, so that his salary really amounted to about £ISOO a year, with one month’s leave on full pay. When Dr Blackmore wrote to the board requesting an increase in salary because he was taking over the military sanatorium, he asked for an increase in his annual leave to six weeks, intimating that he would want one year’s leave of absence shortly. " I want the public understand.” said Mr Aloore. ‘ ‘ that we have riot dealt unfairly with Dr Blackmore.” The chairman : Your time is up. Mr Aloore : l will bo as brief as possible. Dr Blackmore’s salary is the highest paid in connection with any hospital institution in New Zealand. Can it be said we have treated him in anything but a liberal way? I am against increasing Dr Blackmore’s salary. Retrenchment is the order of the day all round, and wo have a right to look at the matter from that point of view. We are in a position of trust and we should see that we do our bus"ness in the interests of the public. Dr Blackmore stresses the point that he was unable to supervise the work of the two institutions, hut it must be remembered that fie did agree to carrv on. Then immediately we intimated that we would not increase his salary, he threw up the position at Jess than a week’s notice, not because ».he could not do the work, but because 1 we were not increasing his salary. Air DM ’Rae seconded Mr Moore’s motion that the special committee’s report be adopted. INSTITUTIONS GROWING. Mr F. Morrell said it looked as if something definite would have to be done, and he would probably move a Resolution on the matter later. Dr Blacr.more had done great work at the sanat uium. bxit now it looked as if m as-d.-d ant director would have to be appointed, equal in abilitv to Dr Blackmi re mid able to take his place when

required. That was necessary because of the growth of the T.B. institutions. Rev J. K. Archer sayi that ope of the advantages oi the newspaper pubin ilv in connection with this matter was that they were able to see Dr Blackinore’s side of the case. He believed til at Air Aloore and most >1 those w ith him had brought the unpleasantness they complained of on their own heads. No one in New Zealand should be paid as much as £ISOO, but on the present-day standard, and compared with other men, Dr Blackmore was woith more. It would be a disaster if they had to dispense with the seivices of Dr Blackmore. They should do all they could to retain tnem - Mrs A. E. Herbert said that if the question oi salaries went into print, *-!n* increase in the work and the increase in .the number of patients should bv published. Dr Blackmore had been asked t-» take control of another 100 neks, and. if the board had gone the right way about it, this present trouble would never have occurred. Mi' \\ l.\. .Leadlev - said the speech, by Air Aloore would go a long way to bringing about the loss of Dr Blackmore’s services to Canterbury, and the first people to feel it would be the poor people suffering from T. 8., tor whom Dr Blackmore had done so much. It had been seated that nothing but friendly feelings had always been entertained for Dr Blackmore by every member of the board. That was not so. He had heard severe criticism ol Dr Blackmore at times. Mr .Moore: By whom? Air Leadlev : By Air Aloore. for one. The chairman : A point of order. Air Leadley: Air Aloore should not interject. Mr Aloore: You should not make incorrect statements. I have never had the slightest feeling against Dr BlackAir Leadley said all the facts had not been disclosed. Why had Air Aloore not said that Dr Blackmore, before he came to the sanatorium, left a position worth £2OOO on account of his health? The board liad held a pistol at. Dr Blackmore’s head. Mr AY. P. Spencer said that the. board was wasting time. The board must have dual control, and that had been'decided on months ago. The whole trouble was that Dr Blackmore had been too thorough—he had never trusted to his understudies. Dr Blackmore felt that with the increase in the work he ceuld not carry on. The position now was : AVho was to he ” top dog,” the Hospital Board or Dr Blackmore? They should advertise the position. % Air N. Bethell said he considered that the board should know more of the position, and that something definite should he placed before it. The special committee had made no recommendation . The chairman said the position did not require any more explanation. If the Board carried the resolution and placed the institutions under one director, then Dr Blackmore liad said he could not take it. A great deal had been said about Dr Blackinore’s remarks in the newspaper. There was nothing in his interview except a reply to statementb made in open meeting of the Board and published in the newspapers. (Hear, hear.) Dr Bia-ek-mor© had said he would try for a time to carry out the work of director of both institutions. He did try, on condition that he could relinquish the position at any time. Now he said that the work was too much for him. D** Blackmore came to New Zealand from England entirely for the benefit of his health. The- T.B. institution had grown remarkably and it was not fair to consider salaries in the past and to-day. Two years ago, when chairman of the Board, he said to Dr Blackmore that he had not the slightest doubt that the Board would ask him to do a lot of extra- work without pay The best course now was to hold over making an appointment for six months.

Air S. Andrew said that to meet the case the board must first rescind the resolution to the effect that they would not have dual control. Dual c’ontrol was a bogey. It had already been in existence. Dr Blackmore was a conscientious officer, and through him the Cashmere Sanatorium had a world-wide reputation. Wry should Dr Blackmore be compelled to do extra work which ho knew he could not do effectively? Air Andrew gave notice of motion that t-lie resolution deciding against dual control should be rescinded. Dr P. C, Fenwick said Dr Blackmore

could be kept on at Cashmere, Dr Aitken at the Alilitary Sanatorium, anil the two other doctors at the Dispensary. There was no need to go into the question of salary at all. Dr Blackmore had assured the chairmen of committees that he was physically unable to take charge of another 100 patients. The chairman, in answer to Air H. H. Holland, said the previous resolution read : “ That it is desirable to have only one control for the T.B. institutions.” He ruled that this meant the board was opposed to dual control. The report of the sub-committee was received, and on the motion of Air Otlev it was decided that the appointment of a Director of T.B. /should be held in abeyance. Air Andrew’s notice q# motion will come up at next meeting. Dr Fenwick withdrew a motion to the effect that- the Public Health Committee should take over the direction of T.B. institutions and allot the duties to the. superintendents in each dase.