75

H.—22a

He pointed out that the advantages of the Costley Wards for the children, for whom they were originally built, had been expatiated upon by Mr. Garland when they (the members of the Commission) visited the Hospital, but since the absurdity of erecting an expensive operating-theatre close to the wards had been pointed out the Board had made a sudden change. Mr. Garland said it was hoped at no distant date to sweep away the typhoid-fever buildings and erect in their place wards suitable for the children. That, he said, was in the mind of the Board. The Chairman : I hope so. The Chairman also inquired under what authority members of the Board gave notes to persons for admission. Mr. Garland said that only the Chairman ever gave such notes, and he had only given four or five in cases where he was certain that the persons were in pain. The Chairman thought the practice was open to abuse. Mr. Garland remarked that he could positively say there had been no abuse of the practice since he was Chairman. Mr. Reed said he would call Mr. Garland again later. Alexander Bruce said be had been a member of the Hospital Board for ten years. He was Chairman of the Board in Dr. Baldwin's time. He represented the Borough of Devonport and the Counties of Waitemata and Rodney. He had been a member of the Waitemata County Council for sixteen years. He agreed that the services of the honorary staff had a considerable money value. Dr. Roberton: Do you think £2,000 a year too high an estimate to place on the services of the ten memers of the honorary staff?—l do not suppose we could get the talent for the money. Do you think it could be equalled by the work of two men paid £700 a year each?—No, Witness spoke of the time given by members of the Board. He thought a medical man would be useful on the Board in connection with the purchase of drugs, the choice of resident officers, &c. He did not think it would be an advantage to separate the Hospital Board from the Charitable Aid Board. He did not think a medical man of experience would be able to give his time as a member of the Board. He thought that the Board derived some advantage from having a medical adviser when he was Chairman, but he thought the best advice could be got from the combined honorary staff. Dr. Baldwin left the Hospital in order to take up a Government position. Witness was opposed to the change to the present position of medical management, which was brought forward by Mr. Stichbury. He was fully aware that the staff was opposed to the change. Witness did not know how the rule was introduced making the Senior Medical Officer the medium of communication between the honorary staff and the Board. He did not remember how the latest code of rules was drawn up. The rules were one of the most important parts of the Hospital, and should be drawn up by the Board, with the assistance of the honorary staff. It could not possibly be done by laymen at a Board meeting in a satisfactory manner. Witness said that in giving the Senior Medical Officer power to attend the honorary staff meetings it was his belief that the Senior Officer would attend only to give information, and not to take part in the business. He thought it would be a similar position to that held by the chairman of the honorary staff ten years ago, when he had a seat at the Board meetings, but did not take a part in the business. Dr. Roberton : Has Dr. Collins acted as financial adviser to the Board?—l could not say definitely if he has, but he has pretty well controlled the Board. In reply to Mr. Reed, witness said he never considered the honorary staff as being under the Senior Medical Officer. There could not be any suggestion that the change in the system of medical management was instigated by Dr. Collins, who had not arrived in the country at the time. He believed that the majority of the members of the Board were influenced by public opinion as expressed in the Press. Tt was not wise to take much notice of every letter that appeared in the newspapers. He gave an instance in which a complaint had been made as to the treatment of a patient at the Hospital by Dr. Collins. On investigating it he found there was no foundation for the statement. Witness did not know anything about the food-supplies beyond that tenders were invited annually for the supplies in different sections. Meat was one class, bread another, groceries another, the latter including nearly everything that grocers sold. The Chairman: Is there anything that a grocer does not sell at times? (Laughter.) Witness said that the vegetables generally came from the Costley Home. Mr. Beetham said that, if he remembered rightly, the Costley Home complained that all the best of the cabbages went to the Hospital, and that they (the Costley Home people) got only the outside leaves. (Laughter.) Examined by Mr. McVeagh, witness stated that he understood that all major operations would be performed by the honorary staff, as stated by Rule 22. The Chairman: It is the grossest distortion to say that under the rule the Senior Officer has a right to perform any major operations that went into the Hospital. Mr. Bruce: The rule is most emphatic. Mr. McVeagh: But that is not the construction that has been placed on the rule. , . ... The Chairman: The construction put on it is a direct violation ot the ordinary rules of the English language.