ALLEGATIONS MADE AGAINST SECRETARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18992, 11 February 1930, Page 16

ALLEGATIONS MADE AGAINST SECRETARY.

DEMANDS HEARING OF CHARGES AGAINST HIM

At the conclusion of the ordinary business at the monthly meeting of the Ashburton Hospital Board yesterday afternoon the secretary Mr Prentice asked for permission to make a statement. He then read the following:— “ Before the general business of this meeting closes, may I detain you for a short time to place before you a matter which intimately concerns myself. Last Friday night Dr Wells requested me to go to his house, with which I complied. There, in his house, he made certain allegations against me which, to say the least, astounded me. They were as follows: “ That I am in the habit of discussing with Mr F. W. Watt in the board's

office the private business of the board; that before meeting and after meeting Mr Watt comes up to the office, when I go through the business of the board with him, and that although he is not a member of the board now, he still dictates the policy of the board; that Mr Watt dictated to me the draft of by-laws which 1 recently submitted to the By-laws Committee; that Mr Watt had in my office drawn up the details of the Radium Fund campaign.” “ 1 gathered from his remarks that these were minor matters compared with what he would divulge to the board if I did not give him my promise that for the future I would not discuss with Mr Watt the private affairs of the board. He said that he had such abundant and conclusive proof that it was quite useless for me to deny the charges he could make against me. I quite willingly gave such a promise because it would not entail any alteration to my ordinary conduct. However, as Dr Wells stated that he would not show his hand to me, I now demand that as an act of common justice Dr Wells should here and now place before

immsminmm®mmm ® is m m m is m m g | you without reservation everything | which he has against me concerning Imy relations with Mr Watt, and of which he states he has abundant eviJ dence.” i Dr Wells said that no notice was j given to him that the matter would be brought up, and as certain people would be involved in the matter he wanted time to bring evidence to prove his statements. Mr Prentice stated that Dr Wells had said that he had abundant and conclusive proof. As secretary of the board for the past five years he (Mr Prentice) had not betrayed the trust that had been placed in him and he wanted to know what the charges were that Dr W ells wished to bring against him. lie wished it made perfectly clear that he was not in the habit of discussing private matters in Mr Watt’s office. Mr Watt visited the hospital to see patients with whom he had business to transact and did not come into the office before and after board meetings. The chairman (Mr W. T. Lill) stated that he thought the matter should not be taken further as there was no saying where it was going to end. lie then went on to refer to statements about Mr Watt and himself. lie never at any time asked Mr Watt’s opinion regarding board matters. A man in public position should not listen to all he heard. Dr Bilcliff stated there was something rankling in his mind and it was that Dr Wells had been waiting for five years to get a smack at the hospital. Tt seemed to him to be an attempt to create anything but harmony on the board. There had been pin-pricking going on for a long time, and as it was not in the interests of the hospital or the board it would have to be stopped. 1 After a lengthy discussion Mr Hardy moved that the matter be discussed fully at next meeting in committee, and this was carried.