PLUNKET CONFERENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21325, 28 October 1932, Page 5

PLUNKET CONFERENCE

ACTIVITIES OF SOCIETY REMITS AND GENERAL WORK Sovoral matters of special interest to the future working of the Plunket Society were discussed at the provincial conference of the society which opened at headquarters yesterday afternc*:n. Tho acting-presi-dent of the Auckland branch, Lady Sinclair Lockhart, presided, and welcomed delegates to tho meeting. Mrs. Joseph McGeorge, a member of the Central Council (Dunedin), speaking on behalf of her organisation, explained that tho present was the third of a series of five conferences which, when the sories has been completed, will have included all tho branches of the society throughout the Dominion. The principal purpose of these conferences, she explained, was to elect in each of the fivp provincial groups three general members to represent these groups of branches on the council of the society. Beyond the voting power given to these provincial conferences in connection with tho election of these members of tho council the former would have no power to pass any resolutions affecting tho working of the society. Following the explanation given by Mrs. McGeorge of the work of the Central Council, a number of remits were dealt with. In answer to a statement from tho Tauranga branch pointing out that the branch considered that money publicly collected should not bo used for payment of tho superannuation of nurses, it was pointed out by Mrs. Harding, of Dargaville, that the superannuation of nurses was an essential part of tho scheme whereby the society carried out its work for mothers and babies. Therefore, money collected for the society had to be used for tho work in its entirety. Jn discussing a remit from To Awamutu for tho extension of the annual leave of Plunket nurses, it was pointed out by Mrs. McGeorge that tho fortnight was a temporary measure forced upon the society by the financial stringency. It would bo a greater hardship for the nurses to have another cut in salaries than to have reduced holidays. In providing superannuation for tho nurses another drain upon funds had been caused, but it wnij felt that tho nurses would be compensated by tho relief that this gave financially for the present loss of their longer holiday leave. Lady Sinclair-Loekhart (Auckland branch), "Mrs. Bisley (Hamilton) and Mrs. A. E. Darling (president of tho Dargaville branch) were elected to tho Central Council.