THE NURSES' HOME.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18128, 18 July 1924, Page 11

THE NURSES' HOME.

- 'to the iDitps , ov.- "thu raiss." ; Sir )7 —The old pionefers . 'recognised that an oversight or mistake 1 had been made*-in '.the • ''city-' andtile immediate . neighbourhood in not majkirig provision for; a,-hospital - site,. \vlu"c.H they..aftenvards recognised by providing the present hospital site oat of a portion of land that' had been set aside for parks and open spaces, which, 110 doubt at that time they regarded as ajnple perhaps for ail time. - . i . " : v " -It \v.ould have-been. Quite an .easy matter for them "to- have - said at that time, an hospital; site must be obtainea. other than out of; the land set aside lor parks and open spaces, ias there were -then plenty of other open spaces available ip handy positions, hut no—' they agreed' that - a small portion, of such land could- render "a greater service to the. community in making provision^for~a .hospititl- in a handy and' convenient - 'Fdr -their action , in, making such 'ample provision for open spaces, ererj' citizen should metaphorically lift his' hat 1 - to them when crossing those splendid parks and gardens, but they put'the question of the greater public, serried first,'in- granting' a small part' of sucli -reserves for hospital requirements. for which action 'the hat should, again;be lifted to them." One cati easily see.that such men would haye-acted quite' differently ; to the • present Domain Board in connexion with the hospital -nurs6s' -accommodation and: comfort-. - .They, the old pioneers, acted with- a- balanced sense of. duty to the public; the present Domain Board ' have not, and have not in any way attempted to meet or consider .the hospital's urgent and imperative requirements. Would the old pioneers have acted in such a way ? The Domain Board'has shown a lack of o(£6pefatioii ; for '/public; .welfare." 'their actibn in'' gbirrjg and inspects

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ii\rr, the proposed nurses' homo site, which is on land ■in the - occupation of th© Hospital Board, without even letting any member of tli© Hospital Board know, was at least discourteous, and their- neglect in not in any way discussing or attempting to discuss tho matter with the Hospital Board, shows clearly how narrow their sens© or duty to the public as public men is. The Hospital Board had nothing to liid-e, and would have discussed th© matter of the nurses' liom© site openly and frankly with them. .The present action of the Domain Board is going to force the nurses doing service in the Hospital into residing in quarters, much of which get little if any sun, in a noisy and cramped position, lacking- in. privacy, and generally not by any means desirable, to the: detriment of the nursa.'i, which must, reflect itself in the patients under their care* whereas if the Hospital Board's. proposals . had been allowed to .be given effect to, the nurses would have been ultimately housed in excellent quarters in beautiful surroundings, comfortable, and private. Another matter also that concerns the public, is: that, in addition to the inconvenience and discomfort to tl>© hospital generally, considerably increased and wasteful expenditure »ns Sot to b© met before the present hos-pital-can ; be. developed to _ its fr-l' capacity Hecauseof the Domain Board s action.—Yours, etc., ' HENRY H. HOLLAND. P.S.—lt is not as if this was about oil tlie land the Domain Boara Th©-' area of land concerned in this matter is about 11 flares at present oocunied' by the Hospital Board, ana which the DoTnr.in Board can not occupy, which is a very small portion of the area (about .600 acres) that tfi Domain Board holds. .