SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1899.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 45, 1 April 1899, Page 2

SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1899.

At the Hospital Boaid meeting on Wednesday the matter of the chaiges agwinst the Matron of the Hospital by the nurses was again biought up by Mr Hamilton, who, as their solicitor, asked that the censure at pre sent standing against the nuises be removed. In support of this he biought forward thiee affidaTits before local justices that the cbaiges made against the matron were true. Certain of the Boaid wanted to set aside this very important evidence, but others were equally determined that it should be taken into account. However, all that was gained was that a notice of motion was tabled asking the Colonial Secietaiy to send Di Ma.cg.egor to hold a fuither enquiry. This may be lost atnext meeting, and the chance of a moie seaiching enquiry be very slight. It is, however, highly improbable that, cren should the motion be lost, the public will allow Trhat appeais to be an undeserved censuie to rest on. the nurses. We do not wish to lefer to the ' matter fuither than is necessaiy, but wjuld lefer to the attitude adopted by one of the Board. Some of the jnembeis, Mr Atwill more particularly, wished to go into commit tee to consider Mr Hamilton's statements, but were over-ruled. Mi- Atwill lemaiked that if they were not careful they would have a, leader on the subject, referring, to the Jeadeis; 'which appeared in this paper after the lastmeeting. Mr Atirill is one of a. class of- men.

t\V>o like a newspapei to have a decided (rj.nnon and who applaud plain speaking— as long as they themsehes do not come under thek^h. Later on he again referred to the aihe'cs, seeming veiy soie op the subject. He juiced that they weie not written ly the etlitoi, but by one whom he could almost t.'nirh. As legards the bias imputed to Hie to'i.initteo the speakri was enough to say the statement was "a lie." On being called to oidei he comteously withdiew the epithet and subitituted " falsehood," distinction withont a dnfeience. We, on bur pait, ha\e to give a dnect denial to Mi Atwill's shipments ie™aiding the authorship of Ihe leadeis, and would expiessom lugiet that a meinbei of a public body should handle tmth so oaiejessly. Never yet has a leading •uticle of the AdVeltisi k been wntten by any othei than oui own staff, and we tiust no such necessity will arise. Study the gentleman uudei notice must undei-iate oui abilities if he does not think us capable of wilting an opinion on a subject upon which the " man in Il'e sheet is well infoimed Mr Atwill's actions have not been so quiet as he asseitsI'ebaps that gentleman thinks someone has been bubing us to allow them to >oiee their opinions, but nis own expenence in an attempt at biibeiy should disabuse him of any Mich thought. This gentleman fuither Inn t eel at duty woik behind the scenes and blamed Mi Petit as the sole cause of the tiouble m aiming at the dismissal of the inaUon Why the->c wild statements, and the loni\ei disj^ajed at the l>canl table' Ife M 1M 1 Atwill so^ely deeply inteiested (not to 'say biassed) 01 is he meielv tiying to co\er up a mock enquuy by a lot of blustei. Peihaps on p. furthei enquny these questions may be answeied.