TOO MANY ARE THERE?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1369, 21 February 1912, Page 3

TOO MANY ARE THERE?

ON OUR C-A. BOARDS

THE CLIG OF "POLITICAL MEN."

WIPE THEM OUT?

Tho Government—or the chief-executive officer concerned, Dr. Vnlintinc—-recently camo to the conclusion that the Hospital and Charitnblo Aid administration of the country could be belter conducted by smaller boards, nnd a ciivular leltrr. was sent to tho various boards throughout the Dominion suggesting that the membership ought to be reduced from 20 lo 12. The matter came up for discussion at the Wellington Board meeting yesterday, under a motion introduced by Mr. U. Baldwin. Tho motion found little favour, nnd it was lost. Tho motion read:— "That Dr. Valintino's proposal to reduce the representation on the bonixl to twelve members be agreed to." In support of his motion, Mr. Baldwin said that tho board was so large that it was sometimes unworkable. It was split up into several different committees, not one of which knew what any other was doing until the board met onco a. month. It acemed to him that, tho working was farcical. If anyone asked him about, the work cf the Charitable Aid Committee, he could tell nothing except what appeared on tho monthly order paper. So also tho Charitable Aid Board knew nothing about the affairs of the hospital. Tie maintained that the board could do its work much more expeditiously if it were composed of only twelvo members. "These Political Men Looking For Better Billets." Mr. G. Robertson seconded the motion. "I agree with Mr. Baldwin that, the board is unwieldy," he said. "This board has been usetl as the stepping-stone to another job. J have seen so much of that that I would stop all these political men looking for better billets. They should not be on a board of this description at all. Wo want business men to conduct the business as it ought to be done." "Once a Month to Air Views." Mr. Van Stavereu supported the motion. He maintained that in actual fact the work of the board was done by less than a dozen men. The others came to a meeting once a month to air their view?, for what reason he did not know—he did not wish to reflect on any of them. In his opinion it was useless to have twcnlv nicmbers on the board.

Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald Opposes. Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald, opposing the motion, regretted that the mover and seconder of tho motion had treated the matter in an apparently jocular wav. The matter was one deserving of tlio closest and sinccrcst consideration, and-ho was surprised to sdo a man like Mr. Robertson casting reflections on other members of tho board. He believed that the mon ndio aspired to other positions in public life had done their best lo terve the city well, and had not done their best to use tho board as a stepping-stone to something else. He would oppose the motion, for the reason that the board was doing good work as at present constituted.

Mr. Godber Against, Mr. J. Godber said thnt he would hesitate to support tho resolution. It required a great deal of careful consideration. Ho thought that if the board were reduced to twelve members, the work to be done would be too much for tho reduced board. The travelling expenses for the board last year were only .£37, which was surely not a large sum, nor was the work tinwicldv. In any case, so long as tho present method o"f election obtained tho work would still bo done by some of the meinlwrs onlv, even if the membership were reduced to twelve.

Country Member Suggests Sawing Down the Town Members. - Mr. B. R. Gardener opposed the motion. _Ho reviewed the position from the point of view of a country member, and defended the title of Horowhenua County to return two members'. If the number of members was to be reduced, let the town members be reduced. But he thought that it would be a great mistake to reduce at all.

Mr. F. J\ Moore spoke as one of the members who would be weeded out under the proposed new scheme. He held that a large membership was a good thing for the board. A good deal of work was done in committee, and having got it through committee, thero was a risk that the committee members would be strong enough oil the board to ensure the passage through tho board of everything done in committee. Only last week he, though a dissentient in committee, had been asked not to oppose a certain question in open board. He admitted that there had liecn a special reason in this particular case, but he quoted tho circumstance as an indication why the membership of the board should not be reduced.

Mr. Cx. Nash would not support the motion. He did not think that the board was too large, considering the amount of detail work members were required to do. Inspector-General Speaks. Dr. Valintine, ln.=,pcctor-Gewsral of Hospitals, who w.as in attendance at the meeting, look upon himself all the blame as the originator of the suggestion which brought about the discussion. He also took all the blame for the fact that the Wellington Board, and boards in the Dominion generally, wero too large. He had thought at first, when the new Act came into force, that it would be well to have large representative boards in order to avoid friction. Now the Act had been thoroughly tried, and he thought that the time had come for a reduction of membership. A large membership was liable to increase the travelling esp.jnses and also the talking capacity of the board. Fortunately he could congratulate the Wellington Board on' the fact that neither of these reproaches applied to them, but there were othor boards in which the travelling expenses were allowed to grow much too heavy. He thought that a small board of twelve, with co-operative members w;ho had special experience in certain problems with which tho board is concerned, would be able to conduct tho business of the board very well. Other boards throughout New Zealand had almost without exception agreed that a board of 20 was unwieldy, but none had made any proposals for their solf-eifaee-ment. He asked that the matter be given very careful consideration, for the rea•>on" that the scheme would save a great deal of money, if not here, in other parts of tho Dominion.

The Motion is Lost. Mr. G. T. London opposed the motion. A reductiou in membership would eutail the delegation of a great deal of work to officials, and this would not he advantageous in an clcctivo body. It was proper that representatives of the people orj a hoard should have some knowledge of detail, and it was the interest and knowledge shown by members in the work of the officials which had made the management of the institution one to be proud of. Hu also took pains to contradict the 'Statements which.had been made by Mr. Baldwin to a newspaper reporter that tho travelling expenses charged wero too high Air. R. C. Kirk agreed with Mr. London in opposing the motion. At any rale, he thought tho memlx'iship should not be reduced below IG, nnd that country members should not be reduced.

Miss Richmond thought that if any reduction wis to be made it must be in the central members. Considering the contributions made by country members' constituents, and the very large areas the members were called upon praeticnlly to administer, it would be unwise to suggest any reduction in country representation. There was something lo be said for a reduction in membership, but it might be safer not to reduce it below Hi, and tho reduction should be confined to central members.

Mr. M'Ev.an said that he had hry-n convinced by Dr. Valiiii.i.ue that an alteration in (be coustit.ution of the board was not required. Neither on the i;ronnd of travelling expenses nor of talir.ath«ijess

could anything be urged against the Wellington lionrd. Mr. ttalbiway moved as nil amendment: "That this board is of opinion that the membership of this board should Ixi reduced lo Hi, and that, it should not. l:o reduced in respect; of country members.". The amendment found no seconder, nnd tho ni.'ilinn was lost on the voices, its only s-iipnorter.s being: Messrs. Ilnldnin, Robertson, and Vim Slavcron.