RETIREMENT OF MR T. PRYDE

Southland Times, Issue 24004, 20 December 1939, Page 8

RETIREMENT OF MR T. PRYDE

WORK FOR HOSPITAL BOARD APPRECIATIVE REFERENCES AT PRESENTATION Members of the Southland Hospital Board and of the staffs of the board s institutions met at the nurses’ home at the Southland Hospital, Kew, yesterday afternoon to honour Mr T. Pry de, who was secretary to the board for 32 years and who recently retired. There was an attendance of nearly 60, the chairman of the board, Mr T. Golden, presiding. Mrs Pryde was also present. Mr Golden said he was very pleased to see so many present —it was a great compliment to Mr and Mrs Pryde. He had been closely associated with Mr Pryde for about 10 years and he could not help admiring the way he had carried out his duties as chief executive officer. Not only had Mr Pryde been secretary to the board, but manager as well. He had put forward arguments that could not be turned down, and his experience and common sense had been of great value to. the board. Mr Pryde was progressive, and was deeply interested in the welfare of his fellow men. Mr Golden congratulated Mr Pryde on his long term of office, and added that no man was better respected than Mr Pryde was. They regretted he had left the service of the board as they had regarded him as a personal friend as

well as their chief executive officer. Mr Pryde had been ably assisted by Mrs Pryde, who had been a great help to him. Mr Golden wished them many happy days in the eventide of their life. HOSPITAL EXPERT Mr J. S. A. McDougall said that he had been associated with Mr Pryde for 24 years and found that whenever he wanted to know anything about hospital affairs Mr Pryde could always tell him. His opinion could always be relied on, and the speaker looked on Mr Pryde as an expert on hospital administration. Mr Pryde did the whole of the executive work when preparations were being made to build the new hospital, and carried the financial part with great ability. If the board had not had his services it would have been at a loss to know how to carry on. Mr W. M. Norman said that they would miss Mr Pryde’s wonderful knowledge and suggested that he would make a splendid member of the board. Perhaps when a city vacancy occurred Mr Pryde would be induced to accept it. Other speakers were Mr Walter Clark, Dr J. A. Pottinger, Mr G. A. Wraytt. Dr W. A. Anderson (medical superintendent of the Lake County Hospital), Dr E. S. Fossey (medical superintendent of the Riverton Hospital), Dr H. Hunter (medical superintendent of the Southland Hospital), Mr C. V. Holder (the board’s engineer), Mr A. M. Williams (secretary) and Mr A. C. Ford (architect). Dr Pottinger remarked that Southland had been lucky in having Mr Pryde, who possessed a great store of knowledge and sound common sense, and Mr Williams referred to the high opinion in which Mr Pryde was held by hospital board secretaries throughout New Zealand. On behalf of the board members Mr McDougall presented Mr Pryde with an armchair in appreciation of the great work he had done for the board and for the sick and suffering in Southland, and Miss H. L. Birss asked Mrs Pryde to accept a fireside chair. Miss Birss spoke of the good qualities of Mrs Pryde, who, she said, had been a tower of strength to her husband, and thanked Mr Pryde for the help and encouragement given to her when she was first elected a member of the board. On behalf of the board’s clerical staff Mr Williams presented Mr Pryde with a suitcase and a travelling rug. MR PRYDE’S REPLY “After listening to what has been said I cannot help wondering whether I have not sent in my resignation too soon,” said Mr Pryde in reply. He deeply appreciated the references to his work, but added that the pleasure was not all on one side, for during his 32 years with the board he had thoroughly enjoyed the work. “I was raw when I started,” he said, “and I have to thank past members of the board and the staff and officers of the Health Department for the consideration they showed to me.” When he took up his position with the board, conditions were very different from what they were today. Then, the cnly institution controlled by the board was the old people’s home at Lome Farm, the hospitals being run by trustees appointed by the local bodies. One of his first duties was to staff and furnish the fever hospital at Kew. In 1908 the total expenditure was £15,000; now the annual expenditure was about £90,000. From a staff of 18 in 1908 the board’s employees had grown to 250 with a pay-roll of nearly £50,000 a year. The hospital rate was very little more today than it was 30 years ago. In 1910 changes in the control of hospitals were made and boards took them over. Today the Southland Board had 10 institutions under its control.

Mr Pryde paid a tribute to the board members for the good work they had done and were doing and thanked them for their support and advice. From the various staffs he had had nothing but the best service and he was glad to be able to say that he had confidence in them. In his successor, Mr Williams, the board had an able administrator, whose heart was in the work. Mr Pryde also referred to other recent staff changes, affecting the medical superintendent, the matron and the accountant. He added that he was not leaving Invercargill and that if ever he could be of service to the board or its officers he would always be willing to do what he could. The gifts were deeply appreciated. After the ceremony, those present assembled in front of the nurses’ home where a photograph was taken. Afternoon tea was served by the nurses.