AN OUTPOST OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 April 1918, Page 7

AN OUTPOST OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

HOW TWO NATIVE NURSES BUILDED A HOME FOR THEMSELVES. Just as you pass ou tof ivaiatia by the Herekino way, on a side road, there is an unobstrusive cottage, built on a pattern quite common in the model homes shown in the American magazines. Here, as a headquarters, for their work, live two Native Nurses Miss Ferguson and Miss Kidner. They are carrying on a warfare with disease amongst the Maoris; fighting very grimly and determinedly amid ■many discouragements. These outposts of the Health Department fixed on , Kaitaia. as a good strategical centre from which to work, and they wanted a small home as a headquarters. They appealed to the Bay of Islands Hospital Board to build them a eottage; but the Board said it was for the Health Department to do, and an appeal to the Health Department brought back a reference to the Board. This did not discourage these women. Out of their own money they bought a section of land, and with their own hands they builded the cottage, even digging the very post-holes. The original was only two rooms; since then they have built on two more and a bathroom

and a portico that gives the cottage its character. The portico is painted a cool dark green inside and the whole cottage outside is painted a light lemon yellow, and the paint was put on by the hands of the Nurses themselves. The only thing they did not do about the building was build the chimney # During .these operations Health Department came forward with a grant of ; £2O towards adding a dispensary to the building. For it must be borne in mind that the settlers' wives about consult the nurses in case of sickness or accident in their families, ana the nurses attend on them and bind their .w-.T:idF, This, in addition to their work among the Maoris. Having built the house, they turned to and made most of the furniture, and no Morrice chair is more comfortable than the chairs made of rimu and of sack's, and of soap boxes. Now these nurses are happy in their home; and when the Hospital Board and Dr. Valintinc went through Kaitaia, they called in and had afternoon tea with the nurses and sat in the comfortable chairs they !had made; and as they sat and talked the tele-: phone rang, and the condition of a far-off patient came across the wire, an destructions were sent back; and a bright little fellow brought oy his not vorv •■>""h ohlrr than himself, came and had a wound on his leg dressed, and smiling his gratitude. And as the men sipped the tea, and thought over the things under tlieir view, they f.-1t very proud indeed of the women of their race. "N--, r mc ?>nd Kidner wore very well-known in TaVhnpe and their many friends will be pleaseu to hear of the 'success of their activities in mother district.