“SCANT COURTESY”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 692, 18 June 1929, Page 9

“SCANT COURTESY”

MR. J. W. WARREN EXPLAWS HIS POSITION HOSPITAL ARCHITECT

“The scant courtesy which Waikato Hospital Board extended to me in respect to my offering t© resign my position, and give the new architect every facility to carry on the board’s work, i-f the resolution terminating my services was rescinded, and I was permitted to complete the work I had in hand, clearly indicates the board’s callousness to any injury I might suffer professionally by its action,” says Mr. John W. Warren, late architect to the Waikato Hospital Board, in a letter to THE SUN. “I therefore feel justified in giving publicity to the mauenr of my going,” says Mr. Warren. “The first intimation I received of some move to get rid of me was on April 19, when the chairman told me that some of the momoers thought it was time I resigned my position as architect on account of my increasing years. As this question had not been discussed by the finance gommittre or by the board itself, I could not take notice of what one or two members might say, but I arranged with the chairman that I should interview the finance committee and thrasli the matter out. “A meeting of this committee was held on May 2. but 1 was not informed of it till the day before—just as 1 was on the point of leaving for Auckland to attend the funeral of a member of my family. I therefore asked the seiretary to apologise for my absence, if I was required, and to state the circumstances. Because I did not attend that meeting, I forfeited my opportunity of an interview.

“In my capacity as the board’s architect I had been instructed to prepare and put through all the necessary plans, specifications, etc., for the erection of a. new maternity block, which had been under consideration for some IS months past. The plans had received the approval of the board and the Public Health Department, and the consent of the Minister of Health was duly obtained. Tenders were called, returnable on May S. to be opened at the board’s monthly meeting the next day.

“At this meeting, the ordinary routine business having been disposed of. before deciding to open the tenders, the board went into committee, and I was asked by the chairman to retiro for a short time, and not to go far away. I wondered whether it was an honorarium, an illuminated address, or a piece of “uninscribed’ silver plate they were about to discuss giving me! A little later the chairman came out and told me the board had been considering my position, and that the consensus of opinion was that I should tender my resignation on account of my age, as they thought a younger man should be appointed. Experience did not count!

“To get over that difficulty—if it "as one—l suggested that the firm of Warren and Reid should be appointed, so that if anything happened to me the work could go on without' interruption. The chairman had some doubts about that proposition being acceptable, and still pressed for my resignation. I, however, could not see my way clear to resign simply on ac - count of age, as it meant my placing myself in the hands of the board, and possibly being forced to sacrifice sundry claims I had on the board. So I requested a. little time to consider rry positipn, and the possible consequences of resigning.

“The chairman said that meant the loss of another month. This after 20 years! I then asked to be allowed :o Interview the board, and for the members to place all their cards on the table. This apparently did not suit. In the end, and in response to the chairman’s suggestion, I agreed to resign if I were paid the full fees on the maternity block, although I would prefer to earn them than take them as compensation. The chairman then went back to the meeting. Shortly after this the meeting broke up without my being called in. I then ascertained that none of my proposals or requests were accepted by the board, although some members, to whom my best thanks are due, thought that I should be given an opportunity of interviewing the board, and that I should finish my work. The tenders for the matexnity block were not opened, but ordered to be returned To the tenderers unopened. But that was the secretary’s funeral— to find out who they were!

**-^ s I have never received any complaint in respect of my work, or of any negligence, incompetence, or dishonesty, I am quite in the dark as to the real cause of the anxiety to get rid of me so suddenly. If it was merely a, question of age, what earthlv reason could there have been to avoid an interview with me”

“On receiving official notification of my dismissal, I made the offer referred to above, which has already appeared in your columns and been rejected as unworthy of consideration bv the board. Comment is needless. The board’s subsequent disregard of its own conditions respecting the appoint ment of another architect is a further instance of the kind of ethics which appears to govern the majority of Hs members.”