Men in Women's Nightdresses

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 97, 27 April 1938, Page 4

Men in Women's Nightdresses

Laundry Muddle At Auckland Hospital

‘DEPLORABLE POLITICAL INTERFERENCE” ALLEGED

Per Press Association.

AUCKLAND, Last Night

Because the laundering at the Auckland Hospital is iu a chaotic condition it has becu found necessary to clothe a number of'inen patients in women’s nightdresses. This statement was made at a meeting of the Hospital Board by the chairman (Mr. W. O. Wood) who deplored what ho termed "political interference” iu the proposal to send the laundry work of the institution to a private company. He said it had been impossible to have the required quantity of pyjamas washed and ironed under Ate existing system. At the meeting of the board last month it was decided to accept the offer of a commercial firm to undOrtuke the whole of the washing for the Auckland Hospital as the board’s own laundry was obsolete and inadequate. To-day, however, a motion was introduced by Mrs. Dreaver to rescind the earlier decision, which was intended to apply until the new laundry was erected at the hospital. Mrs. Dreaver considered the board had acted somewhat hastily in deciding to let out the work to a private firm aud she suggested the possibility of renting premises in which the work could be undertaken by the present hospital staff with a much greater degree of efficiency than tit present.

“In this matter I think the Department of Health has acted most discourteously,” stated Mr. Wood. “Its representative was in Auckland for five days and an immediate report was promised. I have been told by the lady superintendent that men have had to be put into women’s nightdresses because it iB .not possible to get pyjamas laundered and she says the conditions are chaotic.” Air. Wood declared that those who were holding up a sane and economic proposal to send out the washing to a commercial concern had taken upon themselves a gravo responsibility.

It was entirely a domestic matter aud the present position represented one of tho worst examples of political interference he knew. He was filled with indignation at the appalling situation which existed to-day. “To hand over laundry to a private firm for 18 months or two years was giving the board breathing space. It was asked whether the board’s employees were willing to work for a commercial concern, but they did not own the hospital. It was the board’s duty to conduct it with economy aud efficiency. Replying, Airs. Dreaver said she denied emphatically that it was a political matter. It was a domestic question to Avhich the board should have attended two years ago at least.

Airs. Dreaver’s motion to rescind the previous resolution was lost, the mover and Airs. Anderton being its only supporters.