TARANAKI HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 June 1919, Page 6

TARANAKI HOSPITAL BOARD.

SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting of the Taranaki Hospital Board was held yesterday to consider the conditions in regard to accommodation of old people at the Rangiatea Home, in view of the conference of the three hospital boards at Stratford to-day, to consider the question in relation to the needs of the three 1 hospital districts. There were present: Messrs M. Eraser (chairman), J. Andrews, F. J. Hill, E. Gilmour, C. Andrews, S. Campbell, J. Young, G. Capper, and G. Young. The chairman stated that during his time on the board he had not been altogether satisfied with the supervision of the Home which had been largely left to the three town members of the board. He did not think the full board had ever vidted the Home, and as there were now several new members on the board he had arranged that before they entered upon a discussion of the position a visit should be paid to the Home (and the hospital as well) so that all the members could see for themselves.' the actual conditions under which the old people lived, and be in a better position to discuss the position at the conference with the representatives of the other hospital boards.

Accordingly the meeting adjourned in order to visit the institutions;, and resumed again after luncheon. On resuming, the chairman stated that the feeling of the old members of the board was that the other districts, or at all events Hawera. should make provision in their own district for the care of their old people. Mr G. Young raid that as a new member, after hearing all the reports he had about the Home, he was agreeably surprised at the-conditions, on seeing them for himself. He thought, with a little attention to a few necessities, the Home would meet the requirements of the Taranaki Hospital district for many years. The matron wao to be complimented on the way she managed the institution. He did not think the board needed to consider the matter of a new home at the present time, if the other boards would care for their own old people. ' Mr Campbell supported Mr Young. He added that many of the men had said to him that they were well satisfied with their conditions in the Home. There was a want, however, of some more reading matter for the inmates;. He thought that with a little brightening up generally, the institution would meet the needs of the district for some time. Mr G. Young said that with the permission of the board, he would approach the Tnglewood Borough Council and ask if they could provide some books, which seldom went out, from their public library. He knew what there was in the library and thought some books could be obtained from there.—The permission was given to Mr Young. In regard to the minor needs of the place, the House Committee was given authority to make what improvements they considered necessary in order to make the home more comfortable for the winter. A letter was read from the Stratford Board agreeing to the date for the conference and forwarding a remit for consideration, to the effect that the three boards should come to an understanding on the 'Question of uniform salaries; for nurses.

The chairman pointed out that as the board had circularised other boards, and also written to the Minister, urging t-at a conference of all boards should be held, to consider that and other questions, he did not think the local boardi' should take the matter of increasing nurses' salaries into their own hands. It would be, in a sense, penalising other boards if this board increased the nurses' salaries. The mater should be made uniform over the whole Dominion. Other members concurred with the chairman in his view, and thought that whatever decision might be made by the conference of the three boards it would still be tubject to the decision of the general conference of hospital boards. Several members depricated interferMice with present arrangements: in rejgard to salaries, especially as there seemed to be no dissatisfaction amongs-t the nurses themselves. Mr Gilmour disagreed with the view of the chairman as to penalising other boards, and pointed out that the salarv paid to probationers at New Plymouth waf; already much in advance of that paid in some other places. He gave notice to move: That failing arrangements being entered into, as between this board and the Stratford and Hawera boards, with respect to a uniform scale of salaries for hospital nurses and staff, tl.e question be considered at the next meeting of this board for a revision of the salaries given. A further remit set down by the Stratford Board for consideration was to the effect that steps be taken to obtain legislation relieving hospital and charitable aid boards of the responsibility of maintaining the widows and children of criminals whose lives have been taken by the State.