Sequel to Inquiry

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 27, 16 February 1937, Page 6

Sequel to Inquiry

chairman does not give reasons Longf Debate at Board Meeting tmilC INTERJECTIONS Dr. J. Allan Berry, one of the Hapier members of tbe Hawke's Bay Hospital Board, has been asked to tender his resignation as a member of the honorary staff of the Napier Hospital. This is the seqnel to an investigation held on February 4 last by a special committee of the board, when Dr. Berry was requested to tender his resignation within seven days. An important legal point arose. The board 's solicitors gave the opinion that the meeting was illegal in that it shonld have been called in open board and tlie decision then made to go into committee. The matter came before the board at Wa mohthly meeting yesterday, when a Yresolntion was adopted to ihe effect that Dr. Berry shonld be given a" further seven" days* notice in which toforW*rd his resignation. • .During , a. discussion, Dr. Berry " denaanded that the chairman, Mr C. Laseen, ehould mahe "publie the reasons for his (Dr. Berry's) resignation. being demanded. - Mr Lassen declined, where•upon Dr. , Berry. stated that the reason given at •thespecial meeting was that he had n-efused to'give evidence at the' hospital inquiiy. 'The discussion attracted considerable> intereet on the part of -sevciral members ef the - publie who were present but who were. asked- to- retire when a letter from the Hon.W. H. Barnard, M.P., iras eonsidered in- committee.

"No Publicity ' 5 Bequested /he discussion arose -when -Mr .Lassen made .reference to - a letter written ■ to the "board by Mr Barnard and requestihg that no publicity should be . indrnged in regarding . Napier Hospital matters. "I5d'like that letter read toyou in committee,5' Mr Lassen said. .* A motion to this effect was carried, •nd members of the public attending the "board meeting were asked to retire from the room. On resuming in open, board, Mr Lassen made reference to the .special meeting on February 4 last. "You'H all remember the special meeting," he said. "It was called in committee. At the finance, meeting last Wednesday Mr Morse and Dr. Berry raised the question - whether we could act on the decisions nfe.de at that epeeial meeting. After the point was raised, I consulted the board 5s ■ solicitor and he told me that that meeting wae not called legally, as it should have been called in open board and then taken in committee. I am now going to allow the board to deal with the matter :in whatever way it likes, since that epeeial meeting was not a legal one." Mr Lassen thereupon moved that a Secial committee meeting of the board ouldibe held, at a time to be arranged, for the purpose of dispensing with ihe servie.es of Dr. Berry on the honr #rary medical staff of the board. "A Disgrace I" A voxce frpm the public: A disgrace ! A disgrace ! - "The committee meeting's not being in order is only a technical point, and I consider that Dr. Berry knew full Well the intent of the board when asking him to. hand in his resignation as honorary surgeon within seven ""days," said Mr Lassen. "It has not come-for-ward, - although the other resignation asked fcr has been received. I now move accordingly." • "I would suggest that this motion might be deferred until later in the ineetinQ," said Mr 0. Duff, in seconding the chairman's motion. "The meeting of the special committee apparently was not properly constituted," and the business done at that meeting must go. Members of the board know the reason why the special meeting was convened. They know "that it was because the conduct of certain officers of the board was to be discussed. I am quite sure -that the officers concerned appreciate the motives of that meeting, afid on .further consideration thoae concerned might accept the suggestion to defer the discussion for a while; For that reason I suggest that the discusaion should he - deferred. * It* will give the officers time to reconsider it. It also will give members "further time to think it oyer. Mr Morse: I'm in agireement with Mr Duff regarding keeping this matter nnder the noso meanwhile. I may say I have some consideratibn for those people affected; but, as for the confirmation of the minutes, we've had a meeting and have made up our minds about certain matters, so why go over it all againE - Wanted Minutes Altered- . Mr. Morse added that the board could fpnnaliy meet again and then confirm all that had been done at tho cpecial meeting. : . "My vote has .been recorded again st ihe procedure adopted at the special meeting/5 he went on, "but Dr. Berry's and Mr Bedford's have not, ftnd I want the minutes of that special meeting altered so as to state that Dr. Berty and Mr Bedford both were against ihe procedure as - well as my> ■elL" Mr.Dwsen: If the members are nnanimous that the minutes be - formafly

connrmed at a Iegally-constituted meeting, then that can he done. "I am quite prepared tq withdraw my motion and ask Mr Morse if he will move a motion. on the lihes of Jhis suggestion,55 Mr Lassen added. Mr Morse: Yes, if the two names — Dr. Berry's and -Mr Bedford's objeefcing to the procedure of ' the committee are added. Mr Duff: Do they want it? Mr A. E. Bedford : I ask that it be done.^ Mr Duff: Does Dr. Berry want his vote to be recorded? Dr. Berry; Yes. At this stage the question of the legality of Dr. Berry's voting on the matter was raised. The ehairman said that in accordance with the boaxd's by-laws Dr. Berry, because of his individual interest, could not vote. Dr. Berry contended that his dual position fully entitled him to vote on the matter. The ehairman held otherwise. Dr. Berry: While on your feet, will you give the reasons for my dismissal? The ehairman.: I am not prepared at this juneture to go into the matter at all. Vote Against Minutes. Dr. Berry: Well, 1 want to vote against the minutes being recorded. The ehairman : Well, the motion con-

nrming tne minutes wiii not be put. Dr. Berry: What is the alternative? "The ehairman : If the minutes are not confirmed I will proceed with my orlginal motion. At the request of members, the man-agdng-sec'retary read' the resolution The ehairman (to . Ux . 1- c. ; y, . jjo you want your vote, recorded against tlie, minutes? , . ' No answer, howeyer, was forthcoming to the query Mr ;• Morse inunediately stood up to make a suggestion when the ehairman interposed: "I am askdng;I)r. Berry a question, and I want him to answer it for. himself."- ... Dr. . Berry : . Let- him . make his sug--geetion. . . ...... "It's • a . perfect . scandal," cried a voice from the gallery. ■ . The ehairman- sternly warned the.interrupter if - he did not sit down- and remam quiet he would have -to -leavo the meeting. ■ - ' • Dr. Berry then-; intimated his ■ readiness to" withdraw his intention to record* his * vote • against 'tho adoption of the minutes. - ... "With the legal opinion' you have received, is this meeting in "order?" "asked Mr Bedford. The chairihan: I think so. Mr S. J. McKee ; I am of the opinion that. it 'would' be wise to defer this matter to a special meeting. The ehairman; I am going on with tho confirmation of the minutes. The ehairman then moved that a Bpecial meeting of the board should he held to confirm the minutes of the committee meeting held on February 4. This was agreed to and the board was then declared open as a special meeting and on the motion of Mr Duff the minutes. of the committee meeting were confirmed.

Dr. Berry Asks Reasons. "That means that the seven days in which Dr. Berry and the other person concerned are asked to put in his resignation dates from to-day?" asked Mr Morse. "Yes," replied the ehairman. Dr. Berry: May 1 now ask that the reasons be stated . publicly by you, Mr Chairman, why' I have. been. asked for my resignation? , Mr Lassen: I won't allow this matter to be discussed. further at this iuncture.. . Dr. Berry : The reason you exgressed, Mr Chairman. whether it.was correct or not, was that I'd refused to give evidence at the inquiry. Mr Lassen : The matter is now closed. ■ Dr, Berry: But I think — Mr -Lassen*:1 No. The matter is now closed. - ; Further reference was made to the matter later on, when the chairman asked if "there was'any general business for discussion. 1 "We've had our inquiry in committee. and certain ques'tions were put to us by pare'nts' of children," said Mr Morse. "I am not bringing up a controversial matter, but do you pi'opose, Mr chairman, to answer those questions? We answered a solicitor, 'but not tbe parents. What I want to knoiv is whether it is your intention to drop the whole matter or answer those parents." Mr Lassen: There are no question s in writing from the parents ; only soma from their solicitors. Mr Morse : Well, is a reply to be made to tbe letters from the solicitors ? Mr Lassen: Yes. . ' Mr Morse: By whom Mr Lassen: Tbe committee. Mr C. Duff: Hasn't tbe committee ftnisbed ita work? If so, it's for the board to deal with the replies, I should say. Mr Lassen: As far as tbe committee is concerned, I think the matter has been done with-. Mr Morse: But not by tbe board? Mr Lassen : No. Dr. Berry : At the inquiry there was a stenographer taking notes. Have those notes been- destrOyed, or are they still in existenee ? Mr Lassen: Yes, they are still in existenee.