SPLUNKET CONFERENCE
YESTERDAY'S WORK ADDITIONAL REMITS PASSED Mrs. Henry Hall presided over yesterday's deliberations of the Plunkot Conference hold in the Accountants' Chambers. It was agreed not to ask for the remission of rates' on Plunket rooms at present. KARITANE NURSES. Mrs. M'George, as convener of the sub-eomniittee set up to consider two remits, from Christehureh and New Plymouth, regarding Karitane nurses, roported. that regarding the New Plymouth remit, "That Karitane nurses have at least two years' training," the sub-committee recommended that tho term of training for Karitane nurses be increased to one year and four months, and that the fee for this be increased to £35. Already Karitano nurses were on probation for three months, and it was recommended that in the event of it not being desirable for any probationer to go on, with the course, the nominal sum of 15s per week should be charged for board and residence during the period of probation. With regard to the Christehureh remit, which read,'' To safeguard Karitane nurses and employers against im? position, this conference strongly urges Karitane nurses not to advertise for cases in the" 'newspaper's;'when the medium of the registers'at the Karitane hospitals throughout New Zealand is offered to both'employers and nurses,'' it ' was recommended, said Mrs. M'George, that a-letter bo sent to'all Karitane nurses on' the registers at the' different Karitane hospitals pointing out the necessity of every nurse keeping in.close touch'with 'these training centres and of notifying-to the hospital centre any change of address. A letter should also be sent to all Plunket nurses and to all committees requesting that all applications for Karitane- nurses should be made through those hospital centres, and also giving publicity thrbugh the "Hygeia" column to the proper channel through which applications for Karitane nurses should be made. Besides considering these remits much time and consideration was given by the committee to revising, and they hoped, .improving, the "Guiding lines " for" Karitane nurses" aud other matters, Miss Pattrick feeling that while the sub-commit-tee of delegates from Karitano hospital centres were together, it was a golden opportunity to go into all matters connected with Karitane nurses. Tho recommendations were approved. PURER MILK WANTED. I Three remits dealing-with the importance of a purer -/milk supply, two advocating compulsory herd testing for tuberculosis, were next dealt with, and were very thoroughly discussed. Mrs. Tripp said that the Government would always send a man to;carry out tesis free of. cost if asked,' and Sir Truby, who gave a long and often entertainj.ing account of his own experience and experiments w-itli various milk supplies, stressed the point that tuberculosis was not the. only contamina,tion of milk, and urged that tho Agricultural Department be - conferred with. It was finally agreed that ■. Sir . Truby, Mrs. Gilmour (Lyttelton), Mrs. M'George, and, Mrs, Hall- should approach the Health, Agricultural, and Nativo Departments in order to try and arrivo at the best policy for obtaining a | purer, milk supply on tho lines of tho remits before tho conference. Mrs. Cracoft Wilson (delegate from Christehureh) brought forward a remit from her branch .as follows:—"That this conference offer congratulations to the Health Department on its publish- I ea articles on health, ana asks that an authoritative warning be issued pointing out the injurious effects of taking babies and pre-school children to I picture shows." This was carried. Another remit from Gore, "That sweet scrambles at children's functions be discouraged unless the sweets are paper covered," was amended, a former conference resolution regarding sweets being reaffirmed, and Lady Hoskine's suggestion that Plunket members be asketl not to sell sweets at their entertainments, included. Sir Truby " 'sling said that ho had oeen asked to, and haa given, an address on the bad effects of sweets at the Pan-Pacific Conference at Honolulu, where he. had been told that sweet-eating, combined with the ill-balanced diet for children after twelve months, was ruining the races in tho Pacific. Some people made the excuse that, sweets for entertainments I were mostly home-made or,-? perhaps-'1 were boiled sweets. That made no difference, because the cane'sugar was still present. The Tauranga remit, "That a film or lantern slides, dealing with Plunket work bo kept available for the use of branches for propaganda and moneyraising purposes," was also carried. \ A MISUSED TERM. i .MastortoaAsuggested that tradesmen1 should bo'appealed to not to use the name "Plunket" cot on any but tho ideal cot approved of by the society lhe word "Plunket," said the delegate, was used in many connections and she knew of a milkman who called his supply the- "Plunket" supply although, of course, it had no connection with the society. On Sir' Truby's motion, it was decided to make anappeal; to;-the whole business conn munity of New Zealand to protect the society from the misuse of the toini . Plunket" in their products. A roniit from Greytown, "That in the interests of school children who cannot get home to a midday meal and have to carry a pafcelled luuch, branches might foster interest by of-: fering, in the domestic section of Hor^ ticultura,] Society's Shows, a yearly prize for the most nutritious, best balanced, appetising, and generally suitable child's lunch. The judge of the exhibited lunches to be nominated, or at least approved, by the committee o£.[ the Plunket Society in each town," was next discussed, the conference agreeing that tho remit should be strongly re; commend«cl to the branches for their favourable consideration. Two Christehureh remits were passed as follows:—"That Central Council should provide short addresses that Plunkot nurses who havo small aptitude for public speaking to committee meetings could read if 'required." "That in view of the circumstances surrounding the death of a baby in Ohristchurch recently, parents be urged to follow the Plunket nurses' advice a3 to tho necessity for seeking medical aid in regard to sick children, and that more publicity be given to the fact that medical aid will be supplied by tho public hospital to those who cannot afford to pay for a doctor's, services. " A sub-committee, consisting of Mrs. M'George, Miss Pattrick, Miss Ward, Mrs. Cecil Wood, Miss Partridge, Miss Hoddinott, and Mrs. Landels, was set up to consider the Dunedin remit: "That the system on which salaries are paid to relieving Plunkot nurses be considered, with a view to putting the matter on a more satisfactory basis." Pahiatua - Eketahuna recommended that-it be a recommendation to the Health Department that all registered maternity hospitals employ at least' one nurso with Plunket training. The Hon. J. A. Young (Minister of Health) said that this was not possible because a very large number of tho hospitals did not have more than three beds, and tho nurse in charge was a fully-qualified midwife. It would not be right to impose upon her a regulation forcing her to employ an extra maternity nurse,
because there would not bo the work for that nurse to do. It would not, however, do any harm to pass the resolution, for it might interest the nurses in Plunket work. The remit was accordingly carried. Tho recominendationa of the committee which reported upon matters affecting tho Karitane nurses, as given in last night's "Post," were approved. GOOD SECRETARIAL WORK. Mrs. Cecil Wood (Christehureh) referred to the splendid work done .by the Dominion secretary, Miss Hoddinott, and many members endorsed her I'remarks, having had personal experi- | once of Miss Hoddinott's helpful advice. Sir Truby also added his tributo to her work. i A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Sir Truby King for the interesting , lecturo on his travels in Europe, which he had given the delegates on ■ Wednesday night, and to the Aceountai ts' Society for the use of their room for the day. . Eketahuna's remit, "That this soci-, ety confer with tho Government or the ] Public Health Department with a view to the giving of more consideration to dipt in institutions, particularly in schools for growing boys and girls," was carried, the Eketahuna delegate saying that it was designed-to extend tho period of careful diet past tlie three years or so which many mothers considered a sufficient length of time to watch .their child in this respect. ,- Miss Pattrick said that nurses during their training had the broader question of diet placed before them, and were taught to consider the food for thp family as a whole. Sir Truby recalled that in Vancouver he had been entertained by the, Canadian Club, where very eulogistic remarks were made upon the work of three Plunket nurses in that city of 25,000 inhabitants. All of the nurses had been-trained under Miss Pattrick. Tho conference adjourned at 3.30 p.m., when delegates went on to Government House, where they were the guests of For Excellency Lady Alice Fergusson. . .:-.-•
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Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 46, 31 August 1928, Page 17
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1,452SPLUNKET CONFERENCE Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 46, 31 August 1928, Page 17
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