CORRESPONDENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 10 February 1922, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE

SOUTH WESTLAND’S NURSE. (To the Editor).

Sir. —Mr Ritchie in his letter of 6th. ult. replying to Mr L. It. Gibb, gives figures as lo the receipts from the South Westland Medical District, and follows by saying that “the receipts show the nurse’s operations in his district during the period.” “Now Sir, it is a gross insult to both by profession and myself, to even barely suggested that figures can show the operations of the nurse. Allowing, however, that Mr Ritchie may not have been aware of tliis, I strongly object to his attempt to belittle and falsely represent the financial values of my services to the Hospital. Hoard and the ratepayers.

Having been absent at Okurn for the past month, I could not refer to my register, hut am now able to give the following figures, which show my earnings for the Hoard, over the periods given November 1920 to December 1921, (inclusive) —£85 13s 6d. April Ist, 1921 to December 31st. 1921.—£68 12s Od. The disparity between, what Mr Ritchie chums to be the Board’s receipts, a,nd the above figures does not concern me, but I will not allow that gentleman to freely assert, through the columns of a newspaper, that the sum of £8 8s 6d shows my operations for nine months of the year, 1921. In conclusion, Mr Editor, I would like to ask Mr Ritchie a pertinent qdestion. If, a,s the tenor of his letter implied, he was deeply concerned as to the smallness of the revenue derived from the South Westland, why ( then, did he see fit to complain (unofficially, mark you), that my fee was, in a, particular ease, too high. Thanking you in anticipation. Sir, I :am etc.— MABEL W. GUM, Sister-in-Charge South Westland , Medical District. Tatare, Felx 4th., 1922. j