APPOINTMENT AUTHORISED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 303, 20 November 1934, Page 10

APPOINTMENT AUTHORISED.

HOSPITAL HOUSE STEWARD. The appointment of a house Steward as proposed a short time ago, was authorised by the Palmerston North Hospital Board, yesterday afternoon, after a brief discussion. “The time has arrived when the Hospital should have a house steward, and it has been recommended that the institution should be brought into line with modern conditions by the making of such an appointment,” said the chairman (Mr J. K. Hornblow) in broaching the matter. He added that it was impossible for the managingsecretary to undertake all the duties involved. Smaller hospitals such as those at New Plymouth, Napier, Wanganui and Timaru' had a house steward. Though the suggestion for such an appointment had previously been rejected by the board, it was necessary in order to achieve efficient results, especially on the domestic side, where an improvement was desirable. “If such an appointment is made,” he added, “this officer will control the male domestic staff of the Hospital and will act as an assistant to the managing-secretary in connection with stores control and stores record work. The work in this connection has materially increased in the last year or two. The fact that the managing-sec-retary is unable to devote a sufficient proportion of his time to detailed supervision of kitchen, laundry, porters, etc., must be obvious to board members, and if one considers a, list of the house steward’s duties as set out in the by-laws of any one of the boards mentioned it will be seen that this board is, in my opinion, expecting too much detailed work to be carried out by one officer, who, after all, is required to do the whole of the general supervision of the board’s affairs. We have already received 65 applications for this positibn. I have looked over all the better ones among them and am satisfied that some really suitable men have applied.”

The opinion was expressed by Mr A. E. Mansford that the proposal was an excellent one. His only misgivings were whether the finance was available to meet the cost of the appointment.

The chairman said he did not desire the board to embark upon any expenditure that was not justified, but ho was sure that in this case the appointment would result in increased efficiency and saving. Support for the proposal was expressed by Mr L. T. McLean, and without further discussion the motion was carried.