Hospital Trustees.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 45, 1 April 1899, Page 3

Hospital Trustees.

The monthly meeting was held on Wednesday afternoon ; present — Messrs Sinclair (chair), and Auvill, Ilendeison, Douglas, Petit, Walker, Hiudie. Lr Barclay and the Boaid's solicitor, Mr Hamilton, were also piesent. Before attending to the business. Mr Petit moved and it was decided " That a letter be sent to Mrs Hayes expressing the Boaid's sjmpatli) v ith L ■! m hei iecent loss." The matron's and suigeon's lepoits wcie ir>id °nd appicncd. The L'Ujr showed tliat 21 males and 8 females had been treated during the mouth and 8 males and 2 females dischaiged, loavmg 10 males and 6 females under treat mcit. From the South Canterbury Charitable Aid Boaid, asking for estimates for the ensuing year. These showed that the estimates for the year were £1196 19s 7d, and the balance in the bank £4 l'3s 2d. From Mr W. M. Hamilton in reference to the reprimand on the hospital nuises, aud asking to be informed what the " conduct " referred to consists of and to request that a special meeting be hold, at which the nuises might he heaid. Ha nude this request on the ground that the late enquiry had been hold without the nurses having been apprised of it and they had no opportunity of refuting anything. To this the chairman had replied that a committee appointed by the Board had sat aud decided that the chaiges were not proved and there was no necessity tor calling a special meeting. Mi Hamilton, representing the muses, asked the Board to recousidf-r the malter. The chairman said the matter had been settled by the Boaid and he thought it should be dropped. The Board decided to hoar Mr Hamilton and he proceeded to say the nurses were censured for not giving evidence, when they gave evidence on the first day and only declined on the second day under legal advice. The mere fact of their not giving evidence was not sufficient ground on which to censure them. The committee met and took the witnesses separately, not letting the nurses hear the evidence against them. It was promised them the enquiry was to be secret and he found a certain witness was to be called, probably to discredit what they said. Furthermore this witness could only have been called at the instance of some of the members ofcoumnttee'aJad

he submitted this was not proper for any ot the committee to do. The nuisos weic iipa or told to have witnesses m attendance and weie (juito m the daik as to what was to be done. He understood that the reason Dowser was called was because his name was bi ought m but this was true of others who were not called. It was on the ground of pi/ruahtv that he advised them not to speak. The woidmg ot the censure was as it for some breach ot duty. Fuither it implied that the oflence was one tor which the} could be dismissed, which was not the case. If the tacts as alleged by the nurses weie tiue there was no ground for the eensuie but lie had sworn testimony that the allegations wai^ tiue. Mr Hamilton than read tluee affidivits sworn before local justices, one horn Mis Wallace supporting the charge of untrnthfulness and two otheis fiom Gr. Morgan and M. Burke supporting the chaige of drunkenness against the matron. Ha submitted that this was proof conclusive that the nurses were speaking the tiuth and he would ask the Board to ieiuo\e the vote of censure. The ehanmin said that they went and held an enquiry, an unpleasant duty, and sitted the in.itter to the bottom. The late chairman know all about the matter. A man w.is letened to during the iiist di,\'s t>n<i urv. and it seemed as it he k,ii'\v all .»btv* the trouble, so he was called and denied all Boyd said. Kpx + div th^ musps %<% < in ( 1 to ;,\f> cudem. 0 , in' Ihe thought a- sci\iint<- of the Boaul they should gne their evidence despite a lawyei's letter. There had boon no hole and corner woik. If the meiubeis of the committee had gone round like some had done, and raked up evidence, the result wouldhave been different. Mr Douglus said the late cluunian did not kuow anything about it. He had only read the complaints. He had been told by three outside pnilies that a ccitain man was refeired to and two members of the committee interviewed him, were seen in his company two or three tuned and he was called on the second day to give evidence against the muses. He would like to know if these members waited upon the rain between the hrsfc and second day of the enquiry. The chanman and Mr Atwill absolutely denied having done &o. Mr Haidie thought they were not qualified to go into this matter. He w-ould suggest they write to the Colonial becr^tary and ask that Dr Macgrogor be appointed to go into the matter. Tlie chairman said he had explained matteis to Dr Macgregor, and lie said he would not do anything in the matter, the Board could deal with it. Mr Douglas said Dr Macgregor would do as he was told. Mr Atwill said he did not think they wanted a Board at all now, as the power was taken from them both inside and outside the hospitalj. Mr Petit said he had not known the exact nature of the charges till he reached the Hospital. Mr Atwill said Mr Petit would never rest till the Matron was discharged. He tried that game on before, but at the last inquiry it was the doctor who was discharged. Mr Petit had said he was visiting the hospital and the matron had spoke harshly to one of the nurses. The matron had denied the charge point blank. (A. member: Did. the nurse). The nurse was not asked. In tins case he did not tb.iuk

the nurses at fault ; there was soma dirty work behind the lot. Mr Hardie, although strenuously opposed by several of the committee, succeeded m tabling a motion " That theColonial Secretary be requested to ask Dr Macgregor to hold an enquiry into a disagreement at Waimate Hospital between the matron and nurses. One of the visitors reported evervthi'ijf satisfactory. The other, Mr Atwill, so id he was not sure if his word would bo taken, after two leaders hid appeared in the Waim4.te Advertiser accusing the committee of bias in the enquiry. He know who had written the ai tides, not I,ho editor, but one whom the speaker could almost touch, The accusation of bias was a falsehood. (The speaker said a, "he," but withdrew the renruk ) Ha himself had keptvery quiet on the <iub]?efc, bnt when they saw the doctor come prepared with bundles of notes it was evident there was a traitor in. tha camp. It' the doctor had put his fov>t down at th» right time there would still be peace at the institution. Dr Barclay said he had attempted to, but Iml not succeeded. There had been fiiction in the Hospital occasionally, but he tried to prevent a scandal. When these charges were bi ought up he hositated before putting them before theBoard, and did so on the adwee of the then chairman.. He could not keep perfect older unless the Board gave him thought to dischirge either mation or nurses. The matter then dropped. It wa^ decided to spnd a loiter to tV-v Tun mi J3dnd, thanking them tor plj-pm?, in ("i-opeiatiou wiih uid Wauii.ito Jjjlki, m t-lie Hospital grounds. After passing accounts amounting to ■C 159 Is 4d vanos endcrs weie accepted *s follows ;— Fpnei-als, A Plnhp ; blankets, Manchester Bios. ; provisions, S. Butcher.