HONORARIUM OF £200.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1731, 23 April 1913, Page 8

HONORARIUM OF £200.

FOR HOSPITAL CHAIRMAN.

THE PROPOSAL DISCUSSED. LOST ON CASTING VOTE. The. valedictory speech-making which occurred all yesterday's—the final—meeting of the' Wellington Hospital Board, evoked an interesting debate oil the propriety of payment for services rendered by chairmen of local bodies generally, and in-iiar-tieular by the chief cxeculive ofiieer o;' the Wellington Hospital Bofird. Addressing members at the conclusion of the business of the meeting, tho chairman (Mr. Jas. Trevor) said that before vacating the chair, he desired to thank tho members of the board for their cooperation and assistance. He also acknowledged the able assistance rendered to tho board by tho board's secretary (Mr. J. Coyle). He was also very pleased .that tho reconotitution of the board woukl have the eiFect of introducing new interests and new members. Personally, lie would always be glad to bo privileged to assist in hospital work. The speaker also made mention of tho valuable services rendered by the board's treasurer, Mr. H. Baldwin.

Honorarium of £200 Proposed. Mr. A. 11. Hiiidmarsh said that in view ofMhe multifarious work -which devolved upon the chairman of the. board; he thought that that officer should be paid it honorarium of, say, .£2OO. The chnirinan of tlio Harbour Board received a honorarium of .£4OO, and he was certain (hat the chairman of the Hospital Board had just as many calls upon.his time. Further, he considered that the chairman of the Hospital Committee should also receive a honorarium. He moved to tlie effect that these two executive officers should receive honorariums of not, less than .£2OO a year each. Tho motion was seconded by Mr. F. T. Moore, who expressed his conviction that it would pay the board to have at its service executive officers who would have sufficient leisure to keep a watchful eye upon the expenditure and administration. The value of such services was worth thousands.

Mr. H; Fletcher remarked that statutory authority would have to be obtained, but tho motion had his sympathy. He instanced the city tramways, where tho turnover ran into thousands. If the tramways were run by a private company cveryono of tho directors would receive a handsome'fee. It was one of the characteristics of tho British peoplo that men had always been found to como forward anil givo their time and energy to the servico of tho public, for no remuneration at all, receiving more kicks than ha'pence. , The Proposal Combated.

Mr. .Tas, Godber dissented from .tho principle of the motion. With regard to' the honorariums paid to certain civic positions the principle was that theso were intended to defray out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the inevitable public calls made upon these positions, ne would regret the introduction of paid chairmanships as calculated to place such public bodic3 as theirs at the risk of being competed for by men ,who might not be desirable—who were attracted to the board's service by the emoluments. Itr. D. Robertson agreed with the previous speaker. Mr. J. W. M'Ewan. supported the motion. The work'of the board was spread out too thinly, and they wanted, by way of n retainer, as it were, to secure to the board tho services of an ablo executive officer. Philanthropy its Own Reward. Th 3 Rev. W. A. Evans said that the views lie held were these which ho had expressed at tho hist confcrenep. Tlio proposal would bo a retrogrado step. Tho inspiration of service ou : such on institution as theirs was somewhat different from that 'which attracted' men to different bodies. A man required to.have in his heart a sincero regard for the welfare of humanity, ami a large-hearted sympathy for tho sick and afflicted. I'ersoniilly.'he felt that the district had within itself sufficient men of this calibre who were more than willing to render practical servieo in a cause which they had very deeply at heart.

\ The Other Speakers. Mr. B. R. Gardener supported tho rnution, and defended tho principle of a paid chief executive officer. There were u. great many ablo men who could ill-afford the time to devote to tho exacting duties required of tho chairman of the Hospital Board; and he felt that the way should bo made open for them. He was opposed to a largo 6taft' of officials, and felt convinced that the interests of members would be more strongly safeguarded by making it possible for tho chairman to more olosciy supervise the administration of tho board's affairs. They should not trust too much to their officers.

Mr. John Smith reminded the previous speaker that every large public body had to trust to its responsible officials, und rightly so. It was tlio business of the board to dictate matters of policy, and for t'lio officers to give effect to its directions. If tliey were, going to pay anybody, they should pay the board's treasurer. Miss Itiehmbnd asked whether tho chairman of tho board, being paid, would not then be an officer of tho board.

It was pointed out that the remuneration .would be in tho nature of an honorarium, not salary.

Tho chairman (Mr. Jas. Trevor) enumerated tho manifold duties which attached to the chairmanship of tho board, fie complimented tho Harbour Board upon tho admirable conduct of its business, but contended that tho duties of its chairman were less onerous in character than those of tho chairman of tho Hospital Hoard. An Onerous Tie. Mr. If. Fletcher enlightened Mr. Trevor on this point. As chairman of tlio Harbour Hoard ho saw all inward and outward . correspondence,. and frequently drafted letters himself. Ho supervised everything, and in carrying out what ho conceived to bo tho obligations ol' his position had to spend two or three hours daily at tho Harbour Board office. In reply, the mover (Air. Iliudiflarsh) defended tho prmciplo of the motion, as according with _'tbo-true spirit of democracy, which insisted npon efficient service, and adequate payment for. such servico if necessary.

On the question being put to the vote the ayes and noes were even--7 votes each —ami the chairman thereupon gave his costing voto against tlio motion, ivliieU was therefore lost. The motion, by the way, was reduced to a simple proposition that, tho chairman of tho Hospital Board should receive a honorarium, tho question of tho amount being deleted. A MAGNIFICENT" MEDICINE Foil WOMEN. DR. ENSOR'S TAMER JUICE is a cure for most of women's painful ailments. Many women have been wonderfully helped by the use of this timehonoured vegetable preparation.. About .20 drops taken with a lilllo water after each meal puts nn end to tlisickening pains, aches, and agonies that sn frequently torment and torture women. Dr. Elisor's Tamer Juice is hived, taken, and recommended by women everywhere, because of the immense amount of good it does in tho ailments peculiar to women. If n few drops of Tamer Juice —from 20 to 30—be taken in a little water three times each day for several days each month, it will banish pain, induce restful sleep, and prolong life.

Messrs. Thomson and Brown direct attention to the . sale of two properties, which tykes place at their rooms, 33 I.o\ver Cuba Street, at 2.30 p.m. to-day. The first consists of freehold land situate in Victoria llojd, Boseneath, containing 20.3 perches, being Lot 75 on Deposited Plan No. 1301, and part of Section 1, Evans Bay district, and being tho whole of the land in. certificate of title, Vol. 151, folio 173. A dwelling-house and shed stand on the land, (lie title to which, is land transfer. Also land situate in Brooklyn, containing one rood lliii-ly-seven perches'and four-tenths of a perch, being Lot fill on 'Deposited Plan No. :i!U, part of Section 12. Oliiro districi, and being (he whole of I In; land comprised in certificate of 'itlc, Volume SI, folio 52. Three buildings stand on tlio land, the title to which is Isiid transfer.