PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19038, 7 December 1923, Page 3

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

The Annual Conference.

The annual general conference of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society) was held in the Town Hall Buildings yesterday morning. There wore about 25 ladies and half a dozen gentlemen present. The Mayor of Dunedin (Mr H. U. Tapley) said it gave him pleasure to pre side at the conference. He referred to the good work of the society and to the fact that, world-wide as it was to-day, it was started in Dunedin by Dr Trilby King, and called on the Hon. C. E. Statham to open the proceedings. The Hon. Mr Statham expressed the view that all persons engaged in public life should manifest interest in any society that did valuable work in the community. This society had been instrumental in giving to New Zealand a record ,of which it might well be proud, for, he understood, this dominion had the lowest rate of infantile mortality in the world. It must be gratifying to the promoters to know that not only in England and Australia'and'other British possessions was the work being taken up, but that in the United States and other foreign countries the society’s pamphlets were being circulated among the people. With regard to Government assistance, he was sure every member of the House would appreciate any help the Government gave. He congratulated the society on its splendid work, not only in New Zealand, but in other parts of the world, and said lie had pleasure in declaring the conference open.—(Applause.) Mr T. K. fjidey, M.P., said that when one considered the work accomplished by the society in proportion to the Government (support one must teel that the country was receiving a very great amount of work and benefit for which it was not paying. If the country itself had to carry out the work the Government vote would be three or four times the size it was, because of the large amount of the voluntary work undertaken under present conditions. Mr P. R. Sargood and. Mr Peter Barr spoke of the fine class of work carried out by the society. Dr Truby King, who was greeted with applause, said he had just returned. from Australia, where there was a strong desire for closer association and affiliation with the Plunket Society on the part of societies doing similar work in Sydney and Melbourne. It was desirable that every possible encouragement should be given to these organisations, and that, as far as possible, the society should

hold out the right hand of fellowship to these bodies. The society had also been asked to lend support and help to institutions formed by other organisations—for instance, by religious bodies, from the Anglicans- to the Roman Catholics. These bodies wished to work in harmony with the society. They desired to confer with it and get its support and sympathy with regard to the question of the training of probationers, and he had made the tentative suggestion that it, would be a highly desirable thing to have a large body of girls trained, say, for a period of three months, who would then be in a position to help in a household after the birth of a .child and assist the mother to pull it through without the necessity, in simple cases, of employing a nurse who had had 1 months’ training. There were obviously many arguments for and against such a proposal, but the society knew, from 10 years of experience, that the hospitals and other institutions could not under- - take the enormous work of training girls for 12 months and equipping them highly in this %vay to serve the whole of the community,' and it might be possible to train girls who could go into homes with quite a reasonable amount of knowledge and training which would render them competent to give aid in a household while not competent to deal with the more difficult conditions undertaken by the Karitane and Plntibet UUrSes. A matter of special gratification was that, following the lead given by the general hospital at Wellington, the socltsy had been communicated with, in the course of the last mouth, from Christchurch with a similar desire for unity, harmony, and co-operation with the general hospital authorities with regard to the care and after-care of children admitted to the hospital. He hoped that, in the near future, such a state of things would become general throughout New Zealand. Referring to the society’s work, Dr King said it was appreciated by the Government. The society, lie thought, could always rely on the hearty support of the Government, and he was satisfied that support would be shown in an increasing measure as time went on.—(Ap-

plaiise.) At the request of the Mayor, Mrs J. Johnstone, president, took the chair to conduct the general business. The President, in a brief address,’made reference to the work of the society since the last conference, and acknowledged with gratitude a number of valuable donations. The balance-sheet of the headquarters office for the year ended March 31, 1923, was read by the hon. treasurer (Mrs Theremin). Mrs Theomin also read the following extract from a letter received from Auckland: —‘‘Our branch has very much pleasure in forwarding a cheque for £lo f i as a donation to the Knritane-Harris Hospital in appreciation of the great work being done for the whole society by that institution. We regret we shall not be able to make this an annual donation. but with the opening of our hospital next year wo shall be hard pressed to meet the ever-growing demands of our branch. Last year we had headquarters and six sub-branches; next year we shall have headquarters and 11 or 12 subbranches, as well as the hospital/’—lt was resolved: “That the Auckland branch be thanked for its donation and for the spirit in which it is given.” The .Timanu- branch of the society wrote suggesting that the name of Dr King be permanently associated with Karitane Hospital.—Dr King moved that the matter be “shelved” in the meantime.—On the motion of Mrs Theomin. it was decided to associate Dr King’s name with every effort of the society. Mrs W. A. Smith (Gisborne) said her branch much desired a visit from Dr King.—Dr King promised to pay a visit to Gisborne and Tauranga as soon as possible. In regard to a remit from the Invercargill branch, it was decided that from time to time the Plunket Society should have notices in all saw-milling camps, schools, dairy factories, etc., giving information where the nearest Plunket nurse may be found and propaganda of the society bearing on the welfare of mother and child. A communication was received from St. Saviour’s Orphanage, Christchurch, with regard to a method of training to meet the need of help for mothers in their homes. —The letter was referred to a sub-committee to deal with, and later in the day the following report was brought up and agreed to: “(1) The permanent staff must include (a) matron and staff nurse, who must have Plunket diploma and be specially approved for their positions by the .director of Plunket nursing; (b) The training of probationers to be subject to inspection ami approval by the Director of Plunket nursing; (c) the minimum time of training to be four months; (d) those who qualify to ne called ‘nursing helps.’ It is suggested that iu the case of the Anglican institution at Christchurch the full name might he ‘St. Saviour’s nursing help.' and that certificate and badge to that effect should be granted. Similar local names on a similar basis could be adopted elsewhere, (e) Suggested salary to be £1 5s a week where living in the mother's home, when employed by the hour a fee of Is 3d an hour to be chargeable, (f) All other details to he arrancred in conjunction with the Director of Plunket nursing, (g) Provided that the organisers of any institution such as the proposed Anglican Home for infants at Christchurch comply with the above remiirements and satisfy the Director of Child Welfare and the Director of Plunket Nursing ag to the suitability

of their premises and (he adequacy of their proposals the Plunket Society will recognise and give every encouragement to such organisations and institutions. It was resolved: “That the requests made from Australia for more clearly recognising the work and training done on Plunket lines by child welfare comm'tteos in Sydney and Melbourne, be met as tar as possible, consistent with ensuring the adequacy of such work, and that the Central Council, in conjunction with Miss Pattrick, Miss Bousson and Hr Truby King be authorised to arrange.” The Central Council asked that consideration be given to the advisability of arrangements being made for supplying an approved cot for premature babies to local branches on request.--Referred to the general conference, which is to meet ■ in Wellington eight months hence. | On the motion of Mrs Cai'inalt-Jone.", seconded by Mrs Arundel, it was agiocd: “That the hospital authorities be appreached from this conference, requesting that a nurse with Plunket training should be in charge of the children’s ward, and that the work of the children s ward , should he conducted on Plunket lines, as I in Wellington and Christchurch. ’ ! Mrs M‘George moved, and it was | agreed: “That a request be made to Dr Kerens and Dr Williams as to facilities for medical students to study child-welfare i in connection with all Plunket cenues so far as the granting of such facilities ; will in no way interfere with the work i carried out in the interests of mother and j child. This question to he left to Miss j Pattrick and Dr King to decide, in con- i junction with the Central Council.’ A question was raised as to obtaining support for the society by means of a ; rate on the citizens, and it was resolved: i “That Mrs Johnstone, Mrs Thcomin, and Mrs Car.nalt Jones with Messrs Barr, Carr, and Sargood. approach the Mayor of Dunedin to solicit financial support from the municipality.” i A vcf° of thanks was accorded to Dr Truln- King for his attendance, and a similar vote was accorded the president. ;