BOARD OF HEALTH

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2079, 22 October 1880, Page 3

BOARD OF HEALTH

A special meeting of the Board of Health was held yesterday at 2.30 p.m. Present— Messrs Harman (Chairman), Hobbs, Cuff, White, Blakiston, and Ross. The Chairman said just after the meeting yesterday he had received the followng letter from Messrs Garrick and Oowlishaw : October 2nd. Sir, —The Commissioner, Dr. Skae, has xed ,i£so to be paid to him as a deposit out of which witnesses’ expences and allowance are to be paid under the Commissioners’ Powers Act, 1867 and 1872. He will require that sum to be paid before he will sign the necessary summonses to secure the attendance of the witnesses. Will you instruct us iwhether we shall pay same or will you send cheque ? The clauses of the Commissioners’ Powers Act, 1872, referred to were as follows : 4. No travelling or maintenance expences of any witnesses so summoned shall be paid out of the consolidated fund unless the_ Commissioners have obtained the authority in writing of the Colonial Secretary for summoning such witness. 5. If any witness so summoned shall attend before the Commissioners, and no authority in writing as aforesaid shall have been given, such witness shall be entitled to paid his expenses for travelling and maintenance according to the scale aforesaid from any monies which shall be deposited with the Commissioners for the purpose by any person requiring the evidence of such witness, which deposit, to an adequate amount, the Commissioners shall require to be made before the summons is issued.

6. The Commissioner or Commissioners, upon the hearing of any enquiry, may order that the whole or any portion of the cost of any enquiry shall bo paid by any of the parties to such enquiry. Therefore, any witness who might he summoned could ask for his expenses, and the coroner, Dr. Skae, declined to sign any summons until the money was deposited. He wished, therefore, for the direction of the Board on the matter. Mr Ross said it seemed to him that the Government entirely disclaimed any authority or responsibility as to the expenses, except those of Dr. Skae himself. The Chairman said that the motion for the enquiry had been mode by Mr Tancred, who had given him his reasons for so doing, which were that he believed there was a necessity for an investigation in the interests of the public, and that the Government should be requested to take stops in the matter. The Board, he wont on to say, had no funds to meet these expenses. Mr Cuff moved—“ That the Board do not pay the required amount.” Mr Rosa said that this simply meant shelving the whole matter. The Chairman said he had not originally been in favour of the inquiry being held, but he, with Mr Hall, had given way to the majority of the Board, and had since carried out loyally the wishes thus expressed. Now, however, that the mover of the original resolution, upon which the inquiry had been asked for, stated that he was of opinion that the Board had no funds to meet the demand made according to law, which they should have known, before they asked for the inquiry, would be maoe, ho felt that he was entitled to withhold his consent to the money being voted. “

Mr Hobbs said that the facta of the case were that the Board had been informed by their medical officer that he had cause to believe that a case of typhoid fever bad

occurred in the Hospital. This boro on the face of it the fact that their medical officer was precluded from entering the Hospital, and that he was thwarted in his duty. Dr. Ned will had, therefore, asked for an inquiry, and ho was told that their medical officer could prove that oases of typhoid feverhad been taken into the hospital, where death had resulted without notice having been given. The Board, in asking for the inquiry, had done so without any idea that there would be expense incurred by the Board, as they applied to the Government in the interests of the public health, and to the Colonial Secretary as the President of the Central Board of Health, who were more interested than- any one else in the matter. He thought that, having asked for the inquiry, they could not recede, but the Board should request Dr. Skao to receive a deputation of the Board, to lay before him their view of the case. If they found that Dr. Skae was so hampered by instructions as to expense as to prevent his holding the inquiry until this amount was paid, the Board should ask for an adjournment of the inquiry, and ask Dr. Skao in the meanwhile to telegraph the state of mattore to Wellington, and ask for instructions. The Board had done just what it was laid down they should do, viz., applied to the highest authority on the subject, the Central Board of Health. Mr Blakiaton asked that the letter of the Board to the Government should bo read. The Chairman read the letter from the Board to the President of the Central Board of Health on the subject of the inquiry. Mr Hobbs said that members would see this, that the Board had asked for the inquiry, believing that the Government, in the interests of public health, would carry on this inquiry, and not come to the Board for the amount of money necessary to carry out the inquiry. The Chairman said the Board had, he thought, power under the Act to vote money for the purposes of the Board, and it was for the majority to say whether they should do it. Mr Hobbs said that the law had been broken, and they were only doing their duty to inquire into it. Mr Cuff thought that this was simply a setting of one Board against another. Mr Boss eaid that there was no quarrel between the Boards.

Mr Hobbs said the real point was this, that a case of typhoid fever had been admitted to the hospital, no notice having been sent to the Board of Health. It might be that typhoid could break oat in that locality without the Board of Health being aware of whore it originated, or that it had taken place. That was just the position. Ha would like to move—- “ That the Board deposit the money if necessary,” and if that was not carried, then he should move as another resolution—“ That the Board wait on Dr. Skae and explain the matter, and ask that he should communicate with Wellington on the subject.”

Mr Tancrad here took his seat. He said he was of opinion that the Board had no funds available for the purpose now asked for. This was not, in his opinion, a sanitary question at all. Mr Boss thought decidedly it was. Mr Tancred said that all the Board said was that on the authority of their medical officer there had been a dereliction of duty, and then they went on to say that an inquiry should bo held to prove whether it was true or untrue. That was just the state of matters as regarded the Board of Health and the Hospital Board. The law, as they alleged, had net been carried out, and this having been reported to the Government it was the duty of the Government to see that it was carried out. Mr Boss said that the Government would refuse to pay these witnesses.

Mr Tancred said that would leave the responsibility on the Government. They had reported a breach of the law to the Government and it was for them to go on with it. Mr Boss said that placed the Board in a very peculiar position. All they could do was, if this was the position, to report to the Government and leave it to them.

Mr Cuff asked whether they could not have brought the surgeon of the Hospital up under the Act, and thus do away with the necessity for this inquiry. Mr Tancred thought not. There was a difficulty about proving the house surgeon as a head of a family. Their proper course would be to lay an information against anyone who was proved to be guilty of a breach, of the law, but they had not arrived at that position yet. Mr Hobbs referred to the penalty under the Act.

Mr Tancred said he thought that the only result of the Board proving the case would be for the Government to give orders that such a thing should not occur again. But they had not evidence before them to prove the case, but only a prima facie one. Mr Hobbs then moved —“ That a deputation of the Board wait on Dr Skae to represent the views of the Board, with a request that if he is not authorised to pay witnesses’’ expenses he would communicate with the Government on the subject.” Mr Tancred seconded the motion, which was carried.

Mr Hobbs then moved—“ That the chairman, Mr Tancred, and the mover form the deputation.” The Chairman said that he could not act.

Ultimately it was resolved that Messrs Tancred and Hobbs be a sub-committee, to wait on Dr. Skae in the matter. The Chairman said he had forwarded the following letter to Dr. Skae : October 20th, 1880.

Sib, —I am requested by the Local Board of Health to inform yon that in the matter of the proposed inquiry asked for by theta they have decided that the case should not be conducted by counsel. I am at the same time requested to submit for your consideration the following suggestion : 1. That no report of the evidence or proceedings should be made public until your decision is announced. 2. That neither persons whose evidence is likely to be required, nor the members of the Local Board of Health, or of t'm Hospital Board, should be present daring the inquiry. 3. That the inquiry should be held at someplace other than the hospital, and at such an hour of the day as may be most convenient to members of the medical profession concerned therein.

I have, &c., R, J. S. Haesian. Dr Skae, Chairman. To this he had received the following reply : Christchurch, 21st October.

Sir, —I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of yesterday, in which you state that the Local Board of Health have resolved not to employ counsel at the enquiry regarding the cause of death of Mrs Keetley and others, and submit various suggestions. In reply, I have to state with reference to the suggesstions that I cannot think they can all be adopted, but they can be discussed at the meeting which was arranged to take place to-morrow at 10 a.m. I have, &0., F. H. A. Skae. R. J. S. Harman, Esq., Chairman Local Board of Health. It was resolved —“ That the deputation of the Board wait on Dr. Skae in the morning at ten o’clock at the Hospital and arrange the various matters with him.”

The meeting then adjourned.