Oruru News

Northland Age, Volume XVIII, Issue 71, 17 June 1949, Page 1

Oruru News

Personal Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Forsyth, who have iaken over the management of < the farm of Mr. Watkins (recently ' vacated by Mr. and Mrs. P. Burke and family), are very busy getting their i new home in ship-shape order before 1 the busy season commences. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hetaraka and i family have taken up residence in ] Oruru and are living in the home of the late Mrs. A, Francis. This is a boon to the school, making up for 1 the loss of the Burkes. Mr. M. S. Matthews, manager of , the Oruru factory, has'been on annual leave. He was •accompanied by his wife and family and his father. Mis. Walmsley is at present staying with Mr. Walmsley in his Tot.ara North residence. Mr. Lloyd Bird of Wellington spent a few days with his sister, Mrs. Chappie Foster. He will be about fbr some time as he is doing some building in Kaitaia for his brother, Mr. Geo. Bird. Miss Marlene Yates of the secretarial staff of the Oruru Dairy Factory, has flown to Gisborne to spend her annual leave with her grandmother. Mr. and Mrs. Stych have been staying some weeks with Mr. Stych’s daughter, Mrs. Murphy. HOSPITAL STATISTICS During the Hospital Report reading yesterday at the meeting of the Hospital Board, the Secretary, Mr. A. G. Wilson, announced the following hospital statistics for the month of May : Patients in hospital at end 0 f April—3s ; admitted during May—7o ; treated during May—los ; discharged during May—7o ; died during May—--2 ; remaining at end of May—3l ; patients in hospital at end of May, 1948 32 ; daily average for May, 1949 STILL STAFF SHORTAGE Nurses Required When the Matron of the Kaitaia Hospital, Miss Mac Diarmid, made her report yesterday at the monthly meeting of the Hospital Board, she showed that there was still an urgent need for nursing staff. Three nurses are required for the Maternity Annexe, two for the General Hospital, and nurses are required for the chest block, thus enabling this important block to be opened for use,

At the monthly meeting of the Hospital Board which was held yesterday, and over which the Chairman of the Board, Mr. J. W. Hoskin, presided, members were informed by the Secretary, Mr. A. G. Wilson, that assistants to the Engineer were to have a new award, and he read a copy of the proposed rates. Mr. Wilson showed that on the new schedule, those men working under the Engineer, Mr. B. Madgwick, would receive an amount of £l3 per annum more than did the Fngineer, exclusive of any overtime they might earn. This caused a storm of heated discussion round the table, and members expressed freely their opinion on such matters. “It is my opinion,” said Mr. D. Kitchen, “that the Engineer is getting a good salary, but that the others are getting too much. This sort of thing can’t go on. There has to be a halt called somewhere. That halt will be called after November next.” One member expressed the opinion that it would be necessary to raise the salary of the Engineer, so that he wculd be and feel in an executive capacity. “That sort of thing won’t do ” declared Mr. Kitchen. “We can’t raise the wages of one group of employees or one individual because someone else gels a rise. That’s heading us for immediate bankruptcy.” “Whangarei Hospital have to do the same,” said Mr. Hoskin. “They ai e in exactly the same position, ard there’s not much we can do about it.” “It seems as if we’ve got to do it, Mr. Chairman,” agreed Mr. J. T. Clark, “I don’t like doing it, but it seems we must.” “That is so, Mr. Clark,” agreed Mr. Hoskin. “This man has saved us very much money during his employment, and as the secretary points out, if he was working as a graded employee, and was paid overtime, his drawings would be considerably higher than even the amount we want to get for him as an increase. If the man’s qualifications are high enough to do the job and to be taken by another Board, then he is worth employing, and for us t 0 mak e an effort to get permission to have his salary raised.” “Unfortunately, he has only ability as a recommendation,” said Mr. W. P. Hales. It was decided by the Board to make application to the Stabilisation Commissioner for permission to raise the salary of the Board’s Engineer by £SO annually.