“TO RETIRE AT FIFTY-FIVE?”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19237, 26 November 1930, Page 6

“TO RETIRE AT FIFTY-FIVE?”

HOSPITAL BOARD ADOPTS MEASURE FOR NURSES. Keen discussion preceded the adoption by the North Canterbury Hospital Board to-day of a clause requiring female officers arriving at the age of fifty-five, or male officers reaching sixtyfive, automatically to retire on superannuation .unless the board desired to retain their services. Such further appointment would be for fixed periods. Mrs E. R. M’Combs stated that it would be a very distinct hardship on women to have to retire at fifty-five years of age. The chairman (Mr IT. J. Otley) : It is the age specified in the Act. Mrs M’Combs: Two members of the board’s finance committee make no secret of the fact that they are over seventy years of age. lam sure that they will not admit for a moment that at that age they are unfit to carry out their duties. Women, especially those employed by this board, will not by* fifty-five have saved money enough to allow them to retire, and they will have difficulty in obtaining other work. The matron of this Hospital, with the full responsibility of 400 beds, is not paid more than would be given to a clerk in an established firm. “Sweet Young Things.” “I know that the younger women may be ‘sweet young things,’ ” continued Mrs M’Combs, “but institutions of this sort are in need of women of mature judgment and experience. It will be said that fifty-five is the age given in the Act, but I think that in that case the board should protest against that clause in the Act.” Mrs T. Green stated that she agreed with Mrs M’Combs on the matter. The chairman: A woman gets her superannuation ten years earlier than a man. “It sounds very nice,” ironically remarked Mrs M’Combs. Mr F. Horrell declared that women at fifty-five were just as efficient as men. The opinion of Mr William Anderson, was that it might not be right for the board, with four hundred beds at a well-equipped hospital, to employ persons of the age of sixty-five when there might be available younger persons ivith more modern ideas. Miss E. J. M. Cardale: Nowadays they don’t want middle-aged people in offices, or anywhere else. Dr Stanley Foster stated that it was in the best interests of the board that some provision should be made for the retiring age. There were employees who were past their best 3'ears of service. The speaker declared that the board should try to raise the standard

of wages paid to nurses, as their profession was very much under-paid. For Benefit of Sick. The, chairman: The hospital is run for the benefit of no one except the sick. I cannot possibly see how the clause affects anyone. All the cases will be considered on their merits, and the board has power to continue the appointments. Mr A. T. Smith: When will they be available for the old-age pension? At sixty for both men and women? When I was in the railway service I was poleaxed and sent out at sixty-one. If I were still as good as I was at fifty-one I would be earning my own living. The chairman remarked that a woman had the right to retire after thirty* years’ service and a man after forty years’. The clause was only one of machinery. An amendment that the clause be referred back to the finance committee was defeated, and a motion adopting the clause was carried on the voices.