CHARGE AGAINST A SOLDIER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3035, 23 March 1917, Page 7

CHARGE AGAINST A SOLDIER

' SHOULD THE HOSPITAL BOARD APOLOGISE? ' . '. v .' . The man who jumped the fence which Surrounds ono of . tho infectious ' quaiters of the ''Wellington/ Public Hospital , (or rather the man . who was accused" of having performed this feat in atnletios) was again discussed b,v the Hospital Board yesterday. It seemed 'from the.discussiou that, someone jiimp«d the fence, and that a returned soldier. was accused of having committed the breach, of the institution's regulations. He ; denied the charge; and offered to prove that he was; elsewhere on the occasion in question; • . When' the board met yesterday, Mr.' J. W. MacEwan said that as the boardhad hot been, able to bear'out the a(>j cusation against- -tho soldier it should apologise. The, Public Health - Committeo of ■ the board had been asked 'to go. into, thei-matterj and had admitted that the man did not commit, the ■ offence. Therefore there was only. one thing for the board to do—withdraw.: Mr. 6. Nash:, What is he'supposedto have done? Jumped a fence f Terribly serious crime I -. - , Mr. MacEwan: It is serious,, seeing that /the fenco surrounds the infectious diseases I. move that this board shall send a reply withdrawing the allegation and expressing- regret.' . The chairman (Mr. H.. Baldwin): I don't think I could put that motion/; -I could pufc a motion to the-effect that the matter should be sent back, to the committee to. report.. Then it could be said, perhaps, ■_ that' the committee' found that a mistake had been mado. Several members said that the-mat-ter had already been referred to the committee, and that no report had been .mado to the board. One member declared that the-committee had flouted the board. Mr ! . J.. Smith said -that it seemed to him that Mr. MacEwan was right, and that as aman had been maligned, th« board should' apologise. "We havo no evidence- that he . jumped the fence, and if we are -honest men we will-say so. and withdraw." The raot.ion to refer the matter back io the committee was carried.' The Rev. H. Van Staveren (chairman of the committee): You will get no more report., TVo said the man did not jump the/fence, and that is all you will get. The chairman of the board: Are you the whole committee? Perhaps someone else will hold an opinion on matter. : The Rev. Van Staveren: You will not get any more.