Hospital Board’s Finance Committee Attacked

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7472, 24 May 1934, Page 6

Hospital Board’s Finance Committee Attacked

ATTITUDE TOWARDS WAGE CUT RESTORATION Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. Another attempt to persuade the North Canterbury Hospital Board to restore part of the wage cuts to its employees was made by air \V. S. Spencer at to-day’s meeting of the board, but failed by one vote. > Air Silencer moved that tlie decision of the board, made at the last meeting, not to increase by 5 per cent, the salaries and wages of those earning £2OO a year or less, should bo rescinded. The motion was defeated by ten votes to nine, but Air Spencer announced his intention to move at the board’s next meeting that the wages of ai'l employees receiving £IOO a year or less should bo increased by 10 per cent. Because they did not vote for the proposal to restore the wage reductions, seven members of the board’s finance committee were bitterly attacked by Rev. J. K. Archer, who moved that the following members of tho committee should be discharged: Sir Hugh Acland, .Messrs H. R. Davison, L. 81.B 1 . Evans, H. TI. Holland, D. AlcAlillan, H. J. Otrny and F. Rowell.

After a spirited exchange of hostilities, Mr Archer’s suggestion was defeated, only three members besides himself voting for it. “The finance committee, as it is at present, is totally unfit to have change of the board’s affairs,” said Mr Archer. “It is the board’s duly to look after the sick and poor, but it seems to me that the finance committee is more willing to grind the faces of the poor. It has not the confidence of 30 per Cent, of the electors.”

Mrs E. K. McCombs, M.P., seconded the motion as a protest against the re-

fusal of the finance committee to recommend the restoration of the wage cuts. She said she did not understand the attitude of the medical men on the board. They did not seem to realise that they depended on the efficiency of the nurses and that the nurses were essential in some cases where the doctors were practically useless. Mr Archer called for a division, he himself, Mrs McCombs, Airs T. Green and Mr J. S. Barnett being the only ones to support the motion.