CORRESPONDENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2647, 9 March 1898, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

LONG HOURS FOR NURSES. TO THE EOITOR OF THE TIMAIIU HBR4LD. Sir,— l have read with interest ttie letter of your correspondent " Ex-?a-tient." One can hardly believe thatin our midst is a public institution suchas "Ex-Patient" describes working its nurses to such an extent as fourten hours a day. Men growl and agitate if they have to do an extra i of an hoir over and above their regular 8 hours, mless of course they are paid extra. I think " Ex-Patient" is really drawinga long bow,-or perhaps is suffering from ai hallucination as a result of whatever hi) disease was. He asks why is it that it the Dunedin and Christchurch hospitals eight hours is considered long enough to work their nurses, and m Timaru such is not the case? The answer to this question seems to me to be very simple. The Hospital Boards of the Dunedin and Christchurch institutions are human, whereas the Timaru Board is not, as evidenced by their conduct. The Board everlastingly seem to be quarrelling with the doctors. If they would leave them alone and turn their eyes into the Internal working of the place they might find something to cavil over. Although I do not hold that the doctors are entirely blameless m their conduct (such as visiting the hospital m the dinner hours, for instance). Referring to the long hours of the nurses as described by " Ex-Patient," if it is as he says, it is a i crying shame that a public institution j I should so " sweat " their employees, and jan enquiry ought to be held into the { | matter. I am, etc., A Ratepayer.