The nurse agreed to compromise on the understanding that the matter was left in the hands of the Medical Board, whose examination she successfully passed. The lady got justice, but the Infirmary Board did not, and I made up my mind that if I ever got the chance of a return match with them, they should not be let off so lightly again.
The Battle of the Sites had started years before I came to Manchester. The old Board had made up its mind to rebuild the Infirmary on the old site in the centre of the city; the majority of the citizens wished it to go to the present site at Stanley Grove, which was a gift of the Whitworth Trustees. Of the jealousies, squabbles, and troubles of all these years the less said the better.
The old Board, with Fabian genius, continually prevented any agreement with the University authorities, and brought any other plan than that
of rebuilding on the old site to a dilatory end. The older generations of great citizens who had fought the Board in the past—Thomas Ashton, Reuben Spencer, Henry Simon, and Dr. Leech—were no longer with us, and in 1902 the old Board thought this was a most excellent time to carry through their pet scheme. They actually prepared plans for the rebuilding, and called a meeting, believing that the opposition had died down.
The one man who defeated their plans was Joseph Bell. His interests in the commercial world have been too engrossing to allow him much time for political work, but from the way he handled the Infirmary question, I make sure he would be a big asset to any political party. At the first onslaught it did not appear that the old Board’s opponents were very strong, but the meeting stood adjourned. I had never met Bell, but I received a note from him, asking for an interview, a letter of mine having been read at the first meeting. It was when I was reading his note that I remembered that, from a dramatic point of view, I had left the case between the nurse and the Infirmary Board unfinished.
Joseph Bell came to see me after Court with a bundle of papers, and, sitting down at my table, told me the whole story of the Infirmary Board and their doings on the site question from the earliest days. Two things were clear; one, that my visitor had a thorough and intimate knowledge of his subject, and, two, that he meant business. When
he had ended his statement he looked at me keenly and said: “Are you going to help?”
“What are you going to do?” I asked.
“We are going to clear out the old Board and build a new infirmary on the Stanley Grove site.”
“You may put it there,” I said, holding out my hand.