THE HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16448, 4 June 1919, Page 3

THE HOSPITAL BOARD.

CARE OF OLD PEOPLE. At the present time old people frorqi the Stratford and Hawera hospital dis# triots, as well as the Taranaki hospital district, are admitted to the Rangiatea Home at New Plymouth, but the accommodation there provided has been, severely taxed for some time past au<| has been exercising the_mind of the Taranaki Board. The nome provided sufficient accommodation for the aged of the Taranaki district, but if old people from the outside districts are still to be admitted it is evident that additions will have to be made or a new and more commodious building provided. The Taranaki Board there* fore suggested a conference of thd three boards to discuss the needs of the three districts and that conference is being held to-day at Stratford. A special meeting of the Taranaki Board was held on Tuesday to consider the conditions in regard, to accommodation at the Rangiatea Home in ordef that new members of the board may be conversant with the position before attending the conference. There were present; Messrs. M. Fraser (chair* man), J. Andrews, F. J. Hill, E. Gdb» mour, C. Andrews, S. Campbell, J< Young, G. Capper, and G. Young. The chairman explained at the out* set that during his time on the''hoard' he had not been altogether satisfied with the supervision of the Home, which had been largely left to the three town members of the board. Ho did not think the full hoard had ever visited the Home, and as there were now several new members 1 he had arranged) that before they entered upon a discussion of the position a visit .should he paid to the Home (and the hospital as well) so that all the members could see for themselves l the actual conditions under which the old people lived, and he in a better position to discuss the .posts tion at the conference with the representatives of the other hospital hoards, Accordingly, the meeting adjourned id order to visit the institutions, and resumed again after luncheon. On resuming], the chairman stated that the feeling of the old members of the board was that the other districts, or at all events, Hawera, should make provision in their own district for thd care of their old people. Mr. G. Young said that after all the reports he had heard about the Home he was agreeably surprised at the conditions on seeing them for him) self, and thought that with a little at* tention to a few necessities, the Homd would meet the requirements of the Taranaki Hospital district for many years. The matron was to be complimented oh the way- she managed thd institution. He did_ not think thd hoard needed to consider the matter of a new home at the present .time, if the other boards would care for their own people. Mr. Campbell endorsed; Mr. Young, He added that many of the men had said to him that they were well satisfied with their conditions in the Home. There was a want, however, of some more reading matter for the inmatesi He thought that with a little Frightening up generally, the institution would meet the needs of the district for somd time.

The Board concurred, and in regard to the minor needs of the Home the House Committee was given authority to make what improvements they con* sidered necessary in order - to make it more comfortable for the winter.

Mr. G. Young said that with the permission of the board he would- approach the Inglewood Borough Council and ask if they could provide some books;, which seldom went out, from their public lib-; rary. He knew what there was in the library and thought some hooka could be obtained from there.—The permission was given to- Mr. Young. NURSES’ SALARIES. A letter was'read from the Stratford Board agreeing to the date for fie conference and forwarding a remit for consideration, to the effect that the three hoards should com© to an understanding on the question of unifoi’xn salaries fox? nurses. The chairman pointed out that as the board had circularised other boards and also written to the Minister, urging that a conference of - all boards should he held to consider that and other questions, he did 1 not think the local hoards should take the matter of increasing nux-sea’ salaries into their own hands. It would be, in a sense, penalising other -boards if this board increased the nurses’ salaries. The matter should be made uniform over the whole Dominion. Other members were also of this opinion, and thought that whatever decision might he made by the conference of the three boards it would still ho subject to the decision of the genei’at conference of hosoital hoards.

Several member's deprecated interference with px-esent arrangements in regard to salaries,, especially .as there seemed to he no dissatisfaction amongst the nurses themselves.

Mr. Gilmour said he did not agree with the chairman as to penalising other hoards, and pointed' out that the salary paid to probationers at New Plymouth was already much in advance of that paid in some other places. He gave notice to move: That failing arrange, monts being entered into as between this board and the Stratford and Hawera boards, with respect to a nnlfonn scale of salaries, for hospital nurses andl staff, the question he considered at the next meeting of this board for a revision' of the salaries given. A further remit set down by the Stratford Board for consideration wail to the effect that steps be taken to oh-# tain legislation relieving hospital and charitable air hoards of the responsibility of maintaining the widows and children of criminals whose lives have been taken by tlxe State.