DOCTORS DIFFER.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14886, 28 January 1914, Page 4

DOCTORS DIFFER.

A NEW ZEALAND LADY'S DISPUTE. HEALTH OFFICERS' SQUABBLES. (FROM OCR OWN* CORRESr-ONDKNT.) LONDON, December 19. The dispute between the medical officers of %ho Cheltenham Education Committee, which has been hanging fire for some time, has reached the stage at which Dr. Alice M. Burn, who is well known in New Zealand, has received notice to retire from her post in throe months. Dr. Burn, who graduated at Edinburgh University, was recently appointed assistant medical officer to the CheiTenham Education Committee, and in that position her work amongst the I children of Cheltenham seems to have been generally appreciated. Dr. Burn, however, who is a suffragist and a vegetarian, seems to have addressed a number of meetings in Cheltenham, at which she expressed views with regard to food values which j met with the disapproval of her official ■ senior, Dr. Garrett. This led to fric- : tion, and eventually the disagreement between the two officers came before the Education Committee. The result of the discussions, which were of rather a warm description,, was a reference of the dispute to Sir George Newman, a member of the Board of Education. Sir Georgo Newman recommended that Dr. Burn be'asked to apologise to Dr. Garrett, and '-'to give an explicit and definite assurance that she would work loyally with him in the future, failing } which that she. be asked to tender her I resignation." Dr. Burn contended that the reference to Sir George Newman was ultra I vires, inasmuch as its school medical swvire js not a tTrnncb of the Civil Sen-ice, and she herself is not a Civil Servant. "And," she adds, "so far as Jam .aware, this is .the first instance of I a school medical officer asserting con- ! trol over the expression of the opinions of an assistant school medical officer in his or her private capacity. It is car- : tainiy the iirst time one medical officer has arrogated the. right to veto the ; professional statements of another • medical officer on any subject whatover." She contended that when she was appointed, no regulations were laid down for her control or guidance, and there was no stipulation as to what she should do in her private time. She ridiculed the idea that the situation which had arisen was inconsistent with perfect loyalty of service in the discharge of her duty, and asserted that she was still prepared to civo that loyalty, of which there was abundant evidence in her work. She firmly declined, therefore, to make the suggested apology. In view of Dr. Burn's refusal to apologise. Dr. Garrett gave notice to resign his post on December 24th*. AN ANIMATED I>EBATE. The question camo up again at the Cheltenham Education Committee's meeting on Monday, when to quote the local paper, "Dr. Burn waa present amongst a gronp of suffragette and vegetarian ladies and gentlemen who, together with several school teachers, crowded even the standing room, a. number remaining on their feet the whole of tlhe three hoars the meeting lasted." The chairman read a petition which he had received, an 3 which bore 300 signatures, asking the committee if there was no other solution of the dispute than for Dr. Burn to apologise or resign. It was stated that this would involve a very serious loss to the town, especially to the children among whom .she had done such good work. -\ motion was brought forward that three months' notice Cc given to Dr. Burn to terminate bor appointment. A letter was read from Dr. Burn restating her position fully, and pointing . out that altlionsh the matter of her insubordination had been raised Iα the

committee" on more than one occasion, the committee, without oven asking tor her explanation, had decided to take Dr. Carrott'e, view. The mover "of the resolution asked whether, after hearing Dr. Burn's letter, any sensible human being could ever believe , that the writer would really subordinate herself to any living creature. Dr. Burn did nob object to the reference to Sir George. Newman, but she now quarrelled with his finding. In fact, she willingly laid her statement before Sir George, who ivae unquestionably impartial. Because she declined to apologise, it was necessary in the public interest that this motion should bo moved. The Rev. W. Fairlio Clarke, who spoke very highly of Dr. Burn's work, said he felt that the matter had reached such a stage that the only course was to pass the motion. Miss Geddes warned the committee that they were going to turn put the beet medical officer they over had, whether the public approved or not. and she moved an amendment that an enquiry bo held. This was seconded by Miss Jones, who said she was afraid that if they passed the motion they would be guilty of a great injustice. Mr A. Miles: If we get rid of her, shall we get rid of our dilemma? The Chairman: I can't say. Mr Miles: To dismiss her would go against her all her life. The teachers have said over and over again that they have had no officer who ever did so much good. Ailother member said that all the' offence charged against Dr. Burn was attending a lew mothers' meetings, giving instructions to parents with regard to food values, ard taking tho chair at vegetarian meetings. Canon Jennings said they all desired that an apology he offered and the work go on without any change. Mr ,Bourne said that if apologies were necessary at sl\. they were necessary from both parties. Mr Lees Jones maintained that they wore wrong in seeking to hold any control over Dr. Burn's time after she had finished her work. She had absolutely refused to give up her liberty as an Englishwoman. They had had trouble with Dr. Garrott ever sinco ho had been their medical officer: in fact, they had lost count of his many resignations. The Mayor said he thought the appointment of Dr. Burn was the worst they ever made in Cheltenham. He believed in freedom of speech, but he believed in oommonsen.se and judicious action, ard some of the lectures given by Dr. Burn were extremely injudicious, and had made them the laugh-ing-stock of everybody. The amendment was defeated, and the motion giving Dr. Burn three months' notice to resign was carried by 13 votes to 9.