HOSPITAL BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26619, 15 November 1947, Page 8

HOSPITAL BOARD

COMMITTEE MEETING ATTENDANCES STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN Mr J. H. Williamson, Mrs McMillan and Dr McMillan addressed a meeting in the Outram Hall last night. In the course of his address, Dr McMillan said that some political organisers were talking a lot about attendances at meetings and therefore the attendances at the various Hospital Board committees might interest at least these organisers. Everyone agrees, however, that the important thing was not how often a committee met but what it did. It was by deeds and not words that a local body must be judged. * , “Important or not important, however, here they are, and,” added Dr

McMillan, “ they are not ‘ cooked,’ i.e., they are for straight complete years, not specially selected periods to include only those figures that suit the purpose of the quoter. The figures for the three complete years’ life of the present board—l 944-45, 1945-46, and 1946-47, ending May 31—are as follows: Hospital Board 51 Meetings. Per cent Dr McMillan 100 Dr M. F. H. Blain .. ~ 80 J. W. Dove .. 84 Mrs McMillan 84 Mrs Ross 84 vAlex. Steel 80 Committees 235 Meetings Per cent. Dr McMillan 90 Dr Blain 76 J. W. Dove 66 Mrs McMillan 78 Mrs Ross 80 Alex. Steel .. .. :. .. 85 Of the special committees (30 meetings), Dr McMillan attended 30. As none of the other board members are on all these committees, and most on none, their figures for these are irrelevent. “ The attendances at hospital committees are good,” said Dr McMillan, “because the members are doing something, not just talking, and members feel that their time is not being wasted.” (Published by arrangement).