In 1921 the Hokianga County Council, which ran the Hospital Board, introduced cost-cutting measures which included terminating Smith and Lucy's employment and readvertising Smith's job at £100 a year. The Council's decision may have been related to some Council members finding Smith troublesome or his personal affairs. Smith's divorce was widely reported in British and New Zealand newspapers. Some of the community were shocked by the fact that Smith and Lucy were unmarried when they arrived in Rawene, though they were subsequently married. The community rallied in support of Smith, presenting a 750 signature petition to the Board, and he was reappointed at his original salary.
