A HEATED INTERLUDE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 36, 18 January 1946, Page 5

A HEATED INTERLUDE

HOSPITAL CHAIRMAN & MEMBER

QUESTION OF NURSES SALARIES

The facl that all the nursing Siglers in the Whakatane Hospital had threatened to resign in a body unless the increased salary rates were met by the Board at its January meeting was a subject which projected one of the most heated interludes at the meeting of the Whakatane Hospital Board yesterday.

The chairman, Mr J. Mullins, was describing to members the details leading up lo the action of the fourteen Sisters involved, and added that after he had explained the position all the resignations had been withdrawn, when Mr H. C. MqGready informed the members with some bitterness that he had previously warned them of the growing feeling amongst the staff, which the Board as a whole had treated as a joke. He went further and accused the chairman of a mis-statement, declaring that the resignations had not been withdrawn but would be acted upon If the Sisters were not given satisfaction. The chairman called him to order and asked him to coniine his re-< marks to tile subject under discussion.

Mr MeCready: I am going to say what I like. The Chairman: Does it apply to the nurses' salary scale. Mr MeCready: Most definitely it does. You led us to believe the nurses were now satisfied. They’re not and you know it! The Chairman: You must keep to the point. Mr MeCready: You don’t want the meeting to know so I will hand, my information to the press. Mr McGougan another member expressed surprise that the nursing staff hadn’t brought their problems direct to the Board instead of taking such direct action. He was certain they would have received every sympathy. Mr MeCready interjected and was again called to order. Mr McGougan: It is most unfortunate that we have to try and do our business like this. Mr MeCready (sarcastically): Try to do it’s right. The chairman (with some heat): Mr MeCready, will you restrain your remarks. Mr MeCready: I will not! The Chairman: I will not accept your remarks. Irrespective of what you think personally I must insist on your respect to the chair. I will ask vou to withdraw your re-

marks. Mr McCready: I will not! The Chairman: If you won’t I must ask you to withdraw yourself. As Mr McCready remained seated, Mr Mullins went on to say that he did not like these interludes any more than any one else, but he must keep members to the subject matter under discussion. He asked Mr McCready if he would be prepared to co,-operate to that end. Mr McCready: On condition you allow me to put forward my observations when 1 see the opportunity. The argument was then dropped, the Board adopting the recommenr dation of the Finance Committee "to meet the new scale in full and further to examine individual cases of possible hardship with a view to approaching the Stabilisation Com* mittec for a further increase.