SALE OF WEDDING RINGS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21866, 20 August 1936, Page 12

SALE OF WEDDING RINGS

“TRUTH UNPALATABLE” DR. M’MILLAN ANSWERS CRITICISM [From Our Parliamentary Reporter! WELLINGTON. August 19. Criticism by members of hospital boards of his recent question in the House of Representatives about the disposal of wedding rings of certain married women dying in hospital was answered by Dr. D. G. McMillan (Govt., ‘Dunedin West) to-day. “It appears from the ire that has been raised by my question that the truth is very unpalatable to some people," Dr. McMillan said. “If some of those who have been most ready with their invective had stopped to make a few enquiries they would have realised the wisdom of avoiding those places where angels fear to tread. Anyone who knows anything about hospital administration knows thst the wedding rings of those women who are unfortunate enough to die alone in hospital are usually sold by the boards in question.” , , Dr. McMillan quoted an extract from a daily newspaper which showed that an item on the agenda paper at a recent meeting of a certain hospital board was an assortment of jewellery and sundries sold for £93. The secretary of the board had stated that the bulk of the jewellery consisted of old wedding rings. ... “I did not name any boards m my question because the practice is fairly general and because the reason for It is thoughtlessness, not greed," Dr. McMillan added. “Anyway those to whom the question does not apply will realise it. I was not concerned ds to how it came about that rings were sold—l knew that—but as a woman’s wedding ring has such a sentimental attachment for her I did think it was worth an effort to ensure that the ring was buried with her. It is probable that the publicity that has been given to the matter will have the desired effect.” __