HOSPITALS AND FRIENDLY SOCIETIES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 43, 21 February 1925, Page 13

HOSPITALS AND FRIENDLY SOCIETIES

to 'the editor,

Sir,—Now that the election of members to the new Hospital Board is very near, I -respectfully. ask your kind favour of allowing mo to review- the' position so far as it concerns Friendly Societies. I am given to ■understand on good authority that a body, called tho Wellington United Friendly Societies' Council .has communicated with the Lodges asking them to support candidates.Who are ; prepared to stand by .the demands of the council; Now, 'feir, this body does .not represent tho societies and has no light to speak from them in globo, aud many /Friendly Society members do not agree with their. uiibusiuesslike;.demands, which^ I understjind, are the formation of a Friendly Societies' hospital fund on the basis of. the amount collected from the general public. If this is so or anything approaching such an unnnancial proposal, I, as one of the public enter my emphatic protest against it. Things tire, indeed,- cbming-to a^nice state when such proposals are' put forth with the pistol at the ' head. "of any prospective candidate. ■ . ' '

If is said to be a fact that there are! some who -can pay and w;ill'. not pay, and, more shame to them. It is a fact that the charge of £3 3s per week for medical attention and maintenance falls far short of.the actualjcost to the hospital authorities, but'l. understand tliat .1 the Hospital "Board has' agreed to take members of Friendly Societies as patients {supplying them with medical and surgical- attention, food, and comforts) for the ridiculous sum of £1 lls-6d per week, provided that such is guaranteed by the lodges. May I'ask why such preferential treatment should, bo made to any section of' the community, arid they are not satisfied with, it. I venture to say that if'the ■'■■Friendly Societies submitted any of their schemes to the IWistrar of Friendly Societies on the "same;.. basis ■ as. they i are now .■' trying to.' force with the ."Wellington Hospital Board, he would utterly .condemn them and: refuse to register them: ■•] , :.'-• . ■■<\ '£lt is stated' that tKe public pay the i charges through the rates 'and- rents, but that is all fudge. The small charge of £3 3s per week is not brought afcout by _the public, at all. It is owing "to the self-sacrifice made by the hospital staff. ' If we paid those splendid women the nurses, the-ordinary, wage" of a, domestic or a waitress with an Arbitration Court award to protect her; rcontrilruted - a reasonable salary to the' house ' surgeons instead of a pittance "that the labourer would scorn,, and adequate fees, for-ser-vices given by the/honorary staff of physicians and surgeons, the cost: would be doubled. Perhaps we are too well served, and that,is the trouble. The ideals of this council are anything but high ■when they make, the main qualification for candidature to the' : Hospital Board the support of 'their utterly unfinaricial and absurd demand. The public would be Well advised to watch the-course of events^in this respect.—J am, etc., ■!^ omi ti, P^O BONO PUBLICO."; . i?Oth.February, •■■t'.' 1 ' ,- ■■ >■ ■■ ,'