THE HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1917, Page 4

THE HOSPITAL BOARD.

MR F. C. J. BEMIXfIER'DECLm'S' nomination At tlie Soldiers' Club yesterday morn» ing a large and very representative deputation waited upon Mr F. C. J. Bellringer, chairman of the Taranaki Ho»pital and Charitable Aid Board, with ft requisition that he allow himself to b» nominated for re-election to the Hospital Board. Apologies were received from tlio Mayor and the Hon. O. Samuel, - Mr J. D. Sole, president of the Chamber of Commerce, wfoo acted as spokesman, referred to splendid work of Mr Bcllriugcr during the ion;.' period he had occupied the position of chairman of the Board, and said that whilst tho deputation fully recognise! that it had made heavy demands upon his timo, and that lie was justly entitled to a rcst, still they felt.that with the important matters which were no,w occupying tlio attention of the .Hoard, it would be in the best interests of all concerned if Mr Bellringer would coment to nomination for a further term. The deputation felt that it was essential that the chairman of the Board should be a town representative, who would bo more readily ac« cessible than a country member living many mile 3 away. That being soj, it WM very desirable, in view of Iti© important questions now before the Board that th« chairman should be thoroughly conversant with those questions and the work of the Board generally. The deputation, which Mr Sole affirmed, represented the. views of 75 per cent, of the townspeople as well as tho eountry, sincerely hoped that Mr Bellringer would reconsider hl( decision and allow himself to be nora'nated for re-election.

Mr Bcllringer, in reply, stated that ho had fully intended resigning from tho Board two years ago, and it w*» only after a good deal of persuasion th«t lie allowed himself to be re-nominated. At that time he agreed for just one further terra, and that period was just expiring. He stressed the point that t'he personnel of the Board was of a very high stand* ard and that there were men there who were well able to take up the position of chairman. Reference had been made to; tho work lie had done as chairman, but, he pointed ov% in this connection sufficient credit had not been given to other members of the Board. As a matter of fact, it was the other members of tbs Board who almost Invariably took tho initiative, and his duty had simply been to see carried out tile decisions arrived at by the Board. Matters in connection with the Board were upon a satisfactory basis now, and whoever wag elected chairman would, as lio had already intimated, have the assistance of a very able Board. He regretted that he could*. not see his way to seek re-election. It was with very great reluctance he wti severing his connection with the Board, but for certain reasons he could not $9 otherwise. He thought he had mad* his position quite clear to a deputation which had approached Mm. last week. Mr Sole expressed the regret of tl« deputation at Mr Hellringer's reply, and the hope that possibly on fuller consideration Mr Bollringcr' would ovei jrt allow himself to bo nominated