The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-06-06
DODGE REPORT IN
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
LITIGATION FILED
Judge, Sitting as Master, Ap-
proves and Confirms Position
of ]. v. Dittemore.

OhuICu, eX-p eueTa1 JuukS OOuSc VA
Boston, sitting as Master under ap-
pOintment 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 un-
wholesome conditions have existed in
the administration of the church gov
eminent.
Judge Dodge finds from the evidence,
which includes testimony by the ma
jOrity Directors themselves, that Mr..
D~ittemOre'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 a standard Of prOpriety and
conduct higher than desired by his as
sociates. 1t is also found that a 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..
Dfttemore Is still legally a Director
and that the effort to remove him and
appoint a successor more sympathetic
with the policy Of the board is legally
null and weld.
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 a majority Of his as
~sOciates might fnd 1t expedient. The
Master finds that the vote attempting
to dismiss Mr.. Dittemore twas only the
formal adoption Of q conclusion previ-
ously agreed on outside the meeting
and that it 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-
quirements Of natural justice" He also
finds that the complaints against Mr.
Dittemore were not founded upon frs
hand knowledge and "were inadequate
ground for any but a purely arbitrary
dismissal" The Judge also finds thaf
there was never any question as to Mr.
l DittemOre's sincerity in maintaining hi
: position and that nothing said OF dOnI
by him In maintaining his opinion
could have constituted adequate groun,
for dismissing him. unless the major
. ity's power to dismiss could lawful,
! have been used by it for the sole pun
4 pose Of sitting any opposition In tn
{ Board to their wishes.
The Master declares that DireC
tors Dickey, Neal, Merritt and Rath
e Won were animated by personal hoi
a tility toward Mr.. Dittemors and tina
they had long planned among then
selves to get rid Of him. One Of tn
occasions when bad feeling was engeI
dered was when Dittemore refused I
- JUL OlChCys 1NCuA. dAO 1ACLAAtA III q
tending a play in New York whic
DittemOre considered Objectionable an
, which had as the leading player
person of notorious reputation. o
this occasion Director Merritt testi6e
that he urged Dittemore to accompar
l. them and said: Come on with u
le You are not so much better than I'll
rest Of u.s."
n Judge Dodge also finds from the ev
dence that There were occasions
, 1917, 1918 and 1919 upon which, {
. meetings Of the Directors, the plainti
(DittemOre) expressed disapproval
utterances by Dickey Of a kind tole
4 able only when men only, and men NJ
Fl disposed to be scrupulous In such ma
" tiers, are the hearers-thereby arou
n ing resentment on Dickey's part, ar
~ sometimes on the part of Merritt al
10 Rathvon." The testimony regardiI
re eight or nine such instances vas take
by Judge Dodge in private. In regal
to all Of these occurrences JUDI
Dodge finds from the testimony
u Mr.. Dittemore and others, includiI
Id the cross-examinatiOn Of the defendar
n Directors Dickey, Neal, Merritt al
ne RathvOn themselves, that Mr.. Dit
as more's account of them was substa
70 tally true and that his repeated !
- sistence upon a standard Of prOprie
e In language or conduct stricter thi
that accepted by his associates mat
rally augmented their hostility a
dislike"
st Judge Dodge concludes that Dit
mOre's cO-DirectOrs were '1ncapabI
1g on March II, 1919. Of impartial 1ul
he cial consideration Of acoustic
against him, especially Of acoustic
framed by themselves, had they ey
n undertaken an. such consideration"
n At the present time Christian Scis
: = lists throughout the world are deef
interested IN the facts brought out
the Dodge report which Mr.. offend
gh and others are distributing In lar
&c quantities among the membership
Ist The progressive element In I
ST. Church seems to be gaining mu
no strength. It urges q o consists
re- and practical Interpretation OF I
teachings Of Mrs H1dv bV those