MENTAL HOSPITALS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7871, 5 August 1911, Page 7

MENTAL HOSPITALS

ATTENDANTS' HOURS. Grievances of -mental hospital attendants were brought under the notice of tho Hon. George Tow Ids (Minister in charge of hospitals) yesterday by a deputation of members of Parliament. . Tho speakers, Messrs Field, Bollard, and Witty, suggested that as a mau could rot enter tho service until the age of 25 the retiring ago under tho superannuation scheme (65) was too high. A comparison was mado with prison warders, tho deputation stating that in respect to allowances , they were better treated than asylum attendants. The latter’s hours wore I3i per day for 29C| working days, and 9 hours 56 minutes per day for the whole 365 days of the ' year. In Auckland mental hospital the ; weekly work totalled 71J hours. Shorter . horn's and increased pay were advocated, i Mr W. H. Field pointed out that the ■ Porirua attendants were prevented, by ' reason of tho inconvenient train' service, \ from making tho most of their leave. He ■ also considered it unfair that they i should be prevented by regulation from ; approaching the local member regarding their conditions. An appeal board ought to he established in connection with these staffs. Tho Minister replied that a good deal had been done to reduce the hours by : increasing holidays and Tamo off, while ] in January, 1909, the male attendants' * salaries were increased by £7 10s per an- ; num, and the female attendants’ by £5. j He knew that the majority of the at- • tendants preferred redactions by increas- l ing the time off. A wrong impression I prevailed as to the arduous nature of’the ; work. An attendant was on duty if le , was watching a cricket match. .4s for j the proposed appeal board, it was essential in the interests of humanity that tho medical superintendent should have the powers ho now possessed, and if there was any change ho would be sorry for the. patients. 1