St. HELEN'S HOME, AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1493, 16 July 1912, Page 3

St. HELEN'S HOME, AUCKLAND.

ADMINISTRATION DISCUSSED. (13y Telcsrapli.-rr'cEs Association: . Auckland, July 15. Mr. J. 11. Bradney, "M.P., was present at a hirgely-atteiuled.inccting of the" Auckland Waterside Workers' Uhiou this."morning to discuss the system'jof administration prevailing in connection with St. ■Helen's Home. '~:'., Mr. J. Collctt, who presided; said Mr. Hradney had been invited to attemj in order that he should be made acquainted with the experience of wives of working men present who had applied to the institution. Mrs. Emily Nicol wos'called' upon to generally state the case for the union. She said that the first cue she desired.', to' bring under his notice was that of the wife of a number of (he union now'expecting confinement. This..woman lived 'within the Irani terminus and her home was easily reached. Shu could not leave liei' home to go into: (he institution becj use .'there were six little chiklicn. All Dial'she had asked was that a nurse should be sent to her assistance when her child, was bom.' She hail offered to pay for,a-cab if the nurse were-required at. night after the cars had ceased running. Assistance in her case was: not '■ grunted. The second case was that of a woman in Freeman's Bay. who ■ had ten children and could not leave' (hem. In her case also help was not forthcoming. She also complained that cases were' not admitted early enough' for the comfort' or safety of patients. '..•■•• ■'■'.."' Several workers in different parts of the hall rose and generally endorsed Mrs. Nicol's statement. ';[; .'Mr. Noylor, an officer of the union executive, said there were 1100 members in the' Waterside Workers' Union and the matter was! of great .importance to thorn. Mr. Bradney said that if. Mrs. Xicol would supply him with'particulars, of the. ease of the woman residing .at-Kingsland he would <it niice telegrapji to. the Minister in charge of Hospitals; and he would bring the whole matter .before! Parliament.. On the motion of Mr. Naylor a resolution • was carried protesting Against the system of administration adopted in-con-nection with the home. • , -'-. The matron of St. Helen's. Jlonie, on being informed of the outcome'of. this morning's meeting, said that if had to be'i'emembwed that Die y'ork of the instiliir lion has doubled and trebled, and tho strength of the nursing stall' has remained the some. It has been found necessary to make it a rule'that nurses shall not go out beyond the penny tram section, and in that, radius, and in the institution itself, they find that'.they have really more work than they can do. The particular case mentioned at lChigsland wa« one in which the matron had informed the woman that the nurses were so busy that it was only in,cases,of emergency that they would go'beyond the- penny tram limit, and the woman had replied that her husband was trying lo get. <i house in the city' itself,