A LIVELY MEETING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 250, 31 March 1915, Page 8

A LIVELY MEETING.

WELLINGTON' HOSPITAL BOARD. 'Wellington, Monday. A 'special meeting of the Hospita' Board to-day considered the question < the purchase of a dairy farm. Last week it was reported that arrangements for the purchase rf a farm at the Hutt were almost completed, but it was hung up because the Minister of Public Health refused to sanction the expenditure of £BSOO for the purpose unless contributory local bodies were consulted and approved of the scheme. To-day a letter from the Minister was read stating that he. was prepared to give his consent on the condition that the local bodies interested were consulted. The letter stated that the Minister was acting in accordance with the spirit of the act in enforcing this condition. iScction 8 of tl>e Amendment Act of 1913 was quoted, as was f-'ection 41 of the main Art, to show'that the estimates of such expenditure should be submitted to the local bodies. The Chairman said this raised the question of that had been submitted to the hoard for the milk supply contract, which expired on 31st of the present month. He suggested that a short term contract should be arranged. This could be. done by the consent of one of tile firms tendering for the supply. This had been obtained, and the matter was referred to a special committee which will prepare a_ statement to be submitted to contributing bodies and arrange temporarily for milk" supplies for the hospita] mid allied institutions. During the, discussion. Dr. J. K. Elliott said he had spoken with the authorities on the. subject, and they thought that the institution would have less chance of obtaining pure milk from its own farm than from outside sources if the milk was pronerly tested by Government officials. He was strongly in favor of a pure supply of milk for invalids and children, but the hospital had tried to run a poultry farm with but little success. He read a letter published in the morning paper signed "One who Knows." Dealing with the quality of the. land on the farm proposed to be bought in the Mungaroa tfistrict, he said that Tve statements filled him with alarm. Mr B. R. Gardner drew attention to the nature of the letter and said that it might have been written by a member of (he Board. Dr. Elliott affirmed on his honor that he had had nothing to do with the letter, but the members of the board were not expert farmers and should go carefully. Mr Mcfiwan read reports relating to the quality of the milk supplied to the .children's'■hospital. He contended that the Board would have much more chance of obtaining pure milk from their own farm than from a contract with a priI vate firm. He. said that the original . steps taken to buy a farm were the result of r -tain inspections carried out ! by Dr Platts-Mills. This was a year ago, and six months ago the Government ' Inspectors had found that certain Milk , supplied to the hospital was poor in . quality, but no prosecutions followed. i The Health Department had been extremely negligent in carrying out their duties in this connection. To leave the ! milk supply of the city in the-hands of [ the Public Health Department was to , leave it in the hands of the worst pos- ; sible body. Judging from past expert- . ence pure milk must be obtained for the institutions. (Hear.'hcar.) They talked i of the baby killers of Scarborough, but ■ what about those of Wellington ? There ; were more babies killed annually by im. pure milk supply than there were people killed by the Germans at Scarborough. Poor people had not the trained supervision that was available for the babies in the hospitals. If the milk had the dire effects on the children described by Dr Platts-Mills what were its effects on the unprotected children in the homes of the poor. The milk farm scheme was the best thing ever proposed by the Board. Mr Baldwin hoped that the milk farm would be as successful as the poultry farm. In connection with the Otaki Sanatorium Dr Elliott said he was not referring to that farm. Dr Mackenzie: "Address the, chair. There will be a fight here presently." Mr Gardner moved that the motion be put, but Dr Mackenzie objected violently. He attempted to speak, but the chairman stopped him, and Dr Mackenzie said, "On your head be it." The chairman then moved the first part of the motion to refer the matter of the purchase of the farm to a committee, with the addition of the name of Dr .T. K. Elliott to the committee. Dr Mackenzie: "I hereby resign my position on the Board. Will you Inar my reasons?" 'Mr Evans to the Board: "Do you desire to hear Dr Mackenzie's reasons?" Voices: "No." Dr Mackenzie: "You arc a lot of cowards. You. are afraid to listen to me. You know very well what I was going to say." Dr. Mackenzie then made his way to the door while the Chairman proceeded to put the first part of the motion. Dr. Mackenzie: "Good-bye, Mr Chairman." Mr Evans: "All thoso in favor say aye." ■Dr Mackenzie' (crescendo): "Good-bye Mr Chairman." Mr Evans: "The ayes have it." Dr Mackenzie (fortissimo): "Goodbye Mr Chairman." Mr Evans: "I will now -put the sec- | ond part of the motion to arrange for the temporary milk supplies." Dr Mackenzie left the room. fThe second part of the motion was carried and the meeting broke up amid considerable discussion and some laughter.