HOSPITAL BOARD SECRETARY

Southland Times, Issue 24886, 28 October 1942, Page 4

HOSPITAL BOARD SECRETARY

Appeal Is Allowed

An appeal by the Southland Hospital Board on behalf of its secretary, Alexander M. Williams, was adjourned sine die by the Southland Armed Forces Appeal Board at its sitting in Invercargill yesterday. It was stated during the hearing that four of the reservist’s brothers were prisoners of war. The reservist himself had applied to join the Air Force and was not anxious that there should be an appeal on his behalf. In a written statement presented to the board Mr T. Golden, chairman of the Southland Hospital Board, said that at the outbreak of the war the clerical staff in the Invercargill office of the board consisted of Mr Williams, an accountant, accounts clerk and two senior clerks. Of these three were with the armed forces and one had left the service of the board. The clerical staff at present consisted of an acting accountant aged 65, an accounts clerk aged 25 and a junior aged 17J who was in the Air Training Corps. There were three additional girls in the office, but except for Mr Williams none of the members of the staff was trained in hospital board administration. If the appeal was not upheld the board would be at a loss to replace Mr Williams. Taking into consideration the board’s area, the size of its district, the number of institutions under its charge, and the number of patients in those institutions, the board based its appeal on the ground of public interest. An appeal for the accounts clerk in the board’s office, Lauritz Victor Clark, was also adjourned sine die. It was stated that Clark volunteered for service in 1940, but was graded three. The Hospital Board appealed for Thomas Henry McLean, laundry assistant, and this case was also., adjourned sine die.