WAGES INCREASES

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20276, 10 April 1934, Page 3

WAGES INCREASES

Ashburton Hospital Board’s Position. (Special to the “ Star.”! ASHBURTON. April 9. The Ashburton Hospital Board met to-day; present—Messrs W. G. Gallagher (.chairman). W. Bryant, C. A. Campion, R. Oakley. W. H. Wilkinson. G. S. Hardy and F. Frampton and Dr J. It. Wells. With reference to a proposal to restore the second cut in staff salaries, a letter was received from the Hospital Boards Association stating that the restoration of the second cut would involve a sum of about £15.000 for all boards, and £85,000 to restore the first cut. In view of the advice of the Department of Health that no provision was being- made for so large an Item, boards would, no doubt, be subjected to having their estimates amended should they provide for the restoration of all cuts. The secretary stated that the restoration of the cut locally would involve a sum of about £350. In reply to a* letter from the board, the Commissioner of Unemploy merit board’s funds was governed by the necessity of the individual case. If such individual received assistance from another source, his degree of dependence must be obviously lessened. If the board provided fuller details of the amount of local relief (and particularly the maximum) proposed, it might be possible to give some measure of assurance in the direction desired. Jt was understood that the men who were employed during the stand-down week in cutting firewood received considerable benefit thereby. Loss on Malvern Hospital. The chairman stated that the loss on the Malvern Hospital for the year was about £BOO. The fees had been reduced against the matron's wishes, and the effect she had predicted had come about. After a discussion on the matter, it was decided that the committee go into the matter and furnish a report. The chairman reported that food supplies for relief workers during the coming winter had been purchased by the board. bullocks had been bought, averaging 5001 b each. This would give a supply equal to the quantity distributed last winter. viz., 33.0001 b.