LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2676, 24 January 1916, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

MATRONS AND NURSES. AN UNSATISFACTORY POSITION. Sir, —Would you kindly permit me through your columns to draw the attention of tho public to a matter 1 Diave long wished to see brought before them ? I refer to public hospitals, and their matrons more especially. Why should these institutions under Government control not have the same treatment in regard to pensions as mental hospitals and public schools? These have a wellearned pension when they . retire after years of 6ervice, but matrons in our public hospitals, who give all their strength and brain power to the public for yea re, and receive an income no man would think adequate (for-day and night duty), being about half that'of the resident doctor. Yet slie is equally responsible, and more _so ; for every person or thing in the building, and living a far more lonely life (because a matron cannot be intimate or more friendly with one nurse than another). When slie retires she lias nothing tut the little 'she may have saved from her income to keep her in her old age, for there are very few women who hove not had others depending on them, and a matron must 6ubssribe to so many things just beoause she is a matron. What' she may save, will be very little. Take our own matron of the Public Hospital. Gould anyone have worked harder or more honestly, and nobly have tried to do her duty, and yet what will she get in the end ? . She' will probably get thank you (if she gets that), and he allowed to resign when she is worn out, body and soul, in the public service. It made ray blood boil to see in your paper .the other day a reference to .what is going on in tho Timaru Hospital at present. Although every doctor in Timaru is on the matron's side, yet the chairman of the board has refused to even allow her to have her name cleared. Surely this is enough to. show that the Government should hold control, sad not a handful of men who cannot possibly understand'.half the needs or business working of a hospital that the doctorß do. And yet in this casehe doctors cannot even help, though. I see they are doing their best. I will not trespass further on your kindness, but will hope to see some more able pen. than mine take up the subject in the interest of matrons and nurses who have done their duty sincerely and well.—l am, etc. , A SINCERE SYMPATHISER. January 22, 1916. NO TREATING LAW, IN ENGLAND.

Sir, —I was r much amused at the verbosity of our esteemed Rangitikei resident, Mr. J, Walker, in your issueof a few days ago. I.was not attacking any. particular publican",-and'it makes no difference, wnfether "mine host" is Tom Jones, Smith, Mac, or Hobinsori. I again repeat that 110 man 'in the trade should hold office as recruiting officer for any district. That."shouting"' is oue of the greatest curses of the liquor traffic I Bir, no man will deny. Many a young man goes for a drink with a friend, and a few shillings in his pocket, and finds, say, half a dozen spongers hanging . round, who soon rook him of his hard-earned money. Only last night 1 noticed in The Dominion the following cablegram from London:— ; . There has been, a decrease of 50. percent, in the" convictions .for. drunkenness . sitice the restrictions on liquor came into force, except in Scotland, where the decrease is only 6 per cent.. Scotland is threat- .. ened with more ; drastic restrictions. What is being done by statute in England during this dreadful war. and the marked effect for good in the habits of the people, ought to. bo made the law in Keif" Zealand also, and the sooner the better.—l am, etc., .. . ' ' SCOTUS. LABOUR AND CONSCRIPTION. Sir To-morrow a'large conference of Labour representatives is to meet to consider' national service. Much has been said and written, on whether national service': should be;.voluntary or compulsoryl It has been, stated that you- cannot piake . a man fight if he does not want to, and that in not lighting he is showing the highest form of Christianity, and citizenship." The contention has been put'forward that compulsion to, national service violates individual freedom and menaces. the liberty of Labour. From truly religious and Labour viewpoints these arguments are the'excuses"'of hypocrites and false friends to bothi Many things have, been done during the. past eighteen months that in ordinary conditions would not have been done at all,- and would not have been tolerated under ordinary circumstances. The State has undertaken the management of much and' commandeered for its service more. ' The primary reason

has been to invoke greater efficiency of. service, and the mam object lias been that Great Britain and her Allies should win the war. And this war is a ■ war for all tho attributes of civilisation, and a strife for the overthrow of military autocracy in Europe. Thoughtful Labour leaders cannot honestly oppose compulsion to national service at a time like this and for a period of the war. If some Labour leaders denounce compulsory service when such service is needed to defend the nation and punish a foe. that would destroy all that Labour stands for, then how can they defend compulsion to trades unionism, which is of'infinitely less importance' to national maintenance? Neither can Socialists oppose compulsory national service and expect any consideration in future. Besides, is not compulsory national servico but the immediately putting into effect of ono of the main planks in their platform? As direct or indirect compulsion is the'keystone of trades unionism, to deny or denounce its application to the fit manhood of the nation in the hour of the Empire's gravest peril is the attitude of the' humbug. Labour leaders ought to be careful. In the past they have fired guns that have recoiled against : themselves, and the recoil has been disastrous to the innocent rank and file of tho great body of workers. No reasonable man.opposes the legitimate aims of trades unionism; but many ' so-called Labour leaders have never learned the basic principles on which the present structural relations of Capital and Labour rest, hence numerous deplorable exhibi-

tions of waste and folly. The working man generally is favourable to the war and compulsory service, and has proved his loyalty and readiness to serves his country in this great'crisis. To link up the nationalisation of wealth with file nationalisation of manhood service, when the State has power of unlimited nationalisation of wealth by taxation, is to beg tho main issue—compulsory national service during tho war. . , Another thought. The recoil of this great war is likely to play havoc society in ways that cannot now be determined. Let it bo remembered by. Labour leaders that national calamities of any Find hit the working man first,, i and ho feels them longest. It depends largely upon, tho lead the conference gives the workers of New Zealand in. this crisis as to how the people of this Dominion will consider and countenance Labour's aims and aspirations in the future. Like a pendulum, society, has oscillated for ceil furies botween opposing ideals. Those who know Tealise that the greatest reactions have been from solidarity to liberty arid from liberty to solidarity. Perhaps , without knowing it Labour was helping towards the formation of_a State wherein that freedom of thought and action essential to individuals would combine with organic Imperial unity. Our compulsory education has. quickened the intelligence and initiative of our people without affecting their .'liberty. Our compulsory military training has dis-. ciplined our men, and is ennobling them by imparting tho ideal of servico for something greater than themselves. Compulsory service of the fit manhood of the nation - for the war period is essential to our national salvation, and that salvation includes" the liberty and freedom of all workers to a place in the sun of civilisation.—l am, I etc.. J. D. SIEVWRIGKT.