NURSES' SALARIES.

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

NURSES' SALARIES.

MR BOUGALL'S CHARGES. DISCUSSED BY BOARD. AN INCREASE GRANTED. A warm defence was made by Mr F. Horiell 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 Horiell 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 ease 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 he 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 in a newspaper yesterday he said: "1 deliberately and of set intent | used strong language at Sydenham, in the forlorn hope of exciting comment." IA letter written by *. Fox 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 i which the secretary of the board was said to have stated that the rates of !pay for nuTses were, first year £l2 to £2O, second year £25 to £30,. 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 show 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 matters in the. Christchurch Hospital that he could very easily have obtained the information to correct his statement.

"There is another point that strikes me as being singularly peculiar,'' added Mr Horrell, ''and that is that Mr Dougall'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 in: atitution where the nurses are treated 'more like slaves than human beings.' I can only characterise Mr Dougall_'s statement as bejng made, with the-wil-fulintention of misleading Ms hearers." Mr W. J. Walter said that he did not altogether agree witli the chairman's 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 the institution were treated like slaves. That was a direct slur on the board, which it should resent. Mr F. G. Norton considered that some of the, nurses -would resent Mr Dougall's remarks.

I Mr W. H;i Cooper said that: oiice having nerved as a nurse at the Christchurch Hospital, a girl had a status which gave her the entree into, 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 utterod under tho 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-holi-day 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 hoard 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" tho floors. Possibly Mr Dougall's - reference to "slaves' was inspired by the scant holidays the nurses had. He thought that there was a great deal of justification for Mr Dougall's remarks, even if they had not been altogether correct. Mr H. J. Otley criticised the fact that the matter had been introduced just prior to the 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 the salaries of nurses in training should'be:—First year £26, second year £36, third year £46. Its adoption was moved bv 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 sho 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 Hi B. Sorenson said that the wages proposed by the committee would be the highest paid in New Zealand. In i Wellington, as an instance, the Jlrst year's wages was £2O, the second £25, | the third year £35, and the fourth year £SO. I 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. O. Norton and W. P. Spencer supported the amendment. The amendment was lost, and the motion carried.