NURSES' SALARIES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1624, 29 April 1919, Page 7

NURSES' SALARIES.

MR DOUGALL'S CHARGES. DISCUSSED BY BOARD. AN INCREASE GRANTED. A warm defence was made by Mr F. Horrell at to-day's meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board against criticism recently made by Mr J. J. Dougall against the hospital administration. Subsequently, however, the board decided to increase the wages of the lower-paid nurses. Mr Horrell said that the attack by Mr Dougall, an aspirant for the Mayoral chair of Christchurch, on the board's treatment of its nurses required comment. The method adopted by that gentleman in presenting his case did not by any means accord with the dignity that was usually expected from one desirous of .showing that he was qualified to occupy the chief position in the city of Christchurch. If the. board was so harsh as Mr Dougall indicated, why was it that lie had not made representation regarding these serious conditions to the board? Now he rushed into the Mayoral arena, making statements that were calculated to cause uneasiness in the public mind. He appeared to admit that his statements were exaggerated and calculated to mislead. In a letter appearing a newspaper yesterday he said: "I deliberately and of set intent used strong language at Sydenham, in the forlorn hope of exciting comment." A letter written by Dr. Pox was a fair reply on the- board's behalf, consequently there was no need for him to make further reference to that, but Mr Dougall's reference to a statement in which the secretary of the board was said to have stated that the rates of pay for nurses were, first year £l2 to | £2O, second year £25 to £3O, third year £3O to £35, fourth year (first six months) £52 to £57, (second six months) £6O to £65, was incorrect. The statement made by the secretary was that at the last annual meeting of the board the board had increased the rates of pay of nurses from £l2 to £2O for the first year, but did not indicate that the rates of pay ranged from £l2 to £2O, and he produced the board's minute book to'tfhow the alteration that had been effected. The manner in which it was published might have been a little misleading, yet Mr Dougall was so thoroughly in touch With matterß in the Christchurch Hospital that he could very easily have obtained the information to correct his statement.

"There is nnotlier point that strikes me as being singularly peculiar," added Mr Horrell, "and that is that Mr Dongall's daughter received training in the hospital and passed her State examination with great credit to herself. The extraordinary thing is that Mr Dougall allowed her to remain at an institution, where the nurses arc treated 'more like slaves than human beings; 1 I can only characterise Mr Dougall's statement as being made with the wilful intention of misleading his hearers." Mr W. J. Waiter said that lie did not altogether agree with the chairman '$ remarks. It was only by " a fluke'' that the recent rise to £2O in the salaries of the lower-paid nurses had been agreed to. Until a year ago the lower-paid, members of the staff were the worstpaid nurses in New Zealand. Mr W. P. Spencer said that he did not object to some of the statements' made by Mr Dougall, but he strongly objected to the assertion that nurses at tho institution were treated like slaves. That was a direct slur on the board, which it should resent. Mr P. G. Norton considered that some of the nurses would resent Mr Dougall's remarks. -\

Mr W. H. Cooper ' said that once having sefved as a nurse at the Christchurch Hospital, a ! girl had a status which gave her the entree iuto the best society. It was significant that there was no dearth of applicants. , Mr H. B. Sorensen considered that some of the statements made by Mr Dougall had obviously been uttered under the excitement of being before an audience. He thought that Mr Dougall would regret having made several of them. Mrs Wilson said that undoubtedly the nurses were poorly paid, but the main trouble was the long hours. She thought that they should receive a month's holiday in the year. "You can't get away from the fact that the board has not been as liberal in the past as it might have been," said Mr S. Andrew. The board had also turned down a proposal during the year to extend the holidays. If Mr Dougall said that nurses "scrubbed" the floors he would have been more correct if he had said "mopped" the floors. Possibly Mr Dougall's reference to "slaves' was inspired by the Beant holidays the nurses Lad. He thought that there was a great deal of justification for Mr Dougall's remarks, even if they had not been altogether correct. Mr BE. J. Otley criticised the'faeti that the matter had been introduced■ just prior to tho election.

The chairman: I have a few.figures here relating to nurses in other centres. Mr Otley: I object to these being read. We are just facing an election. Statements have been made, and we'll stand by them. . ~ Members: Hear, hear. Later, the Finance Committee reported recommending that tho salaries of nurses in training should be:—First year £26, second year £36, third year £46. Its adoption was moved by Mr H. J. Otley. J Mr Walter moved as an amendment that the first year the wages should be £3O, the second year £4O, and the third year £SO. He stated a poor' man could not send his daughter to be a nurse. A girl had to wait until she was 21 years of age. Mr S. Andrew seconded the amendment. He was sorry it did not provide also for a further increase in the case of the fourth year. Mr H. B. Sorenson said that the wages proposed by the committee would be tho highest paid in New Zealand. In Wellington, as an instance, the! first year's wages was £2O, the second £25, tho third year £35, and the fourth year £SO. '

The chairman said that some time ago the Inspector-General, Dr Valintine, had promised to draw up a schedule of 'rates of pay which should be paid to nurses. It was a pity that was not forthcoming. Messrs F. G. Norton and W. P. Spencer supported the amendment.j The amendment was lost, and: the motion carried.