Catoctin clarion., 1923-06-07
DODGE REPORT IN
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
LITIGATION FILED
Judge, Sitting as Master, Ap-
proves and Confirms Position
of ]. v. Dittem0re.

Boston. Mass.-After over four years
of litigation i'm the Christian Science
Church, eX-Federnl Judge Dodge Of
Boston, sitting as Master under ap-
pontment of the Supreme Judicial
Court of Massachusetts, has filed his
final report on the evidence. The
plaintiff, John V. Dittemore, the senior
Director of the Church, whose service
antedateS the deceaSe of Mrs. Mary
Baker Eddy, and who his associates
sought to remove from office, seems
to have been completely justified in his
contentious that undesirable and I'M
wholesome conditions have existed in
the administration of the church gov
ernment
Judge Dodge finds from the evidence
which includes testimony by the ma
jOrity Directors themselves, that Mr.
Dittemore'S dismissal was for the pur-
pose of doing away with opposition to
the wishes OF the majority and also
because Mr.. Dittemore had sought to
establish standard Of propriety and
conduct higher than desired by his as
SOciates. 1t is also found that prin
cipal reason for the hostility to Mr.
DittemOre was because of his rebuke
to his associates on numerous occa-
sions when offensive language was
used and offensive jests made at meet
ings of the governing body of the
church. Judge Dodge holds that Mr.
Dittemore Is still legally Director
and that the effort to remove him and
appoint a successor more sympathetic
with the policy of the board Is legally
null and void.
In regard to the illegality of Mr.
Dittemore's dismissal, Judge Dodge
says that no Director could fairly be
supposed to have accepted his posi-
ton upon the understanding that he
was subject to instant, arbitrary dis
missal whenever majority of his as
sociates might find 1t eXpedient. The
Master finds that the vote attempting
to dismiss Mr.. Dittemore was only the
formal adoption of a conclusion previ-
ouSly agreed on outside the meeting
and that ii was for his associates, then
accusing him and at the same time pro-
posing to also act as his judges, to
afford him such opportunity to be
heard in his own defense upon the
charges made as would satisfy the re-
qurements Of natural justice" He also
finds that the complaints against Mr..
Dittemore were not founded upon first
hand knowledge and "were inadequate
h,if III ~ nv
dismissal" The Judge also finds that
there was never any question as to Mr..
Dittemore's sincerity in maintaining his
position and that nothing said or done
by him In maintaining his opinions
could have constituted adequate ground
for dismissng him, unless the major
ity's power to dismiss could lawfully
have been used by 1t for the sole pur-
pose of sitting any opposition in the
Board to their wishes.
The Master declares that Direc-
tors Dickey, Neal, Merritt and Rath-
Won were animated by personal hos
tility toward Mr.. Dittemore and that
they had long planned among them
selves to get rid Of him. One Of the
occasions WnoD Ddu feeling WIS eIScll-
dered was when Dittemore refused to
Join Dlckey, Neal, and Merritt in at
tending play in New York which
Dittemore considered Objectionable and
which had as the leading player
person of notorious reputation. On
this occasion Director Merritt testified
that he urged Dittemore to accompany
them and said: Come on with us.
You are not so much better than the
rest of u.s."
Judge Dodge also finds from the evil
dence that There were occasions in
1917, 1918 and 1919 upon which, at
meetings Of the Directors, the plaintiff
Dittemore) expressed dlsapproval Of
utterances by Dickey of a kind toler-
able only when men only, and men not
disposed to be scrupulous in such mat
ters, are the hearers-thereby arOus-
ing resentment on Dickeys part, and
sometimes on the part of Merritt and
Rathvon." The testimony regarding
eight or uine such instances was taken