DOMESTIC STAFF

Wairarapa Daily Times, 16 September 1936, Page 4

DOMESTIC STAFF

MASTERTON HOSPITAL. MANY COOKS IN FOUR YEARS. The chairman reported at to-day’s meeting of the Hospital Board that a special meetingof the Finance Committee wasi held on Bth September, when the managing-secretary. . reported the domestic staff could not bo obtained and the existing staff were becoming dissatisfied with 'their working conditions. Applications had been called for cook and other domestics, but no replies had been received. The committee decided that the secretary be authorisd to:—(a) Employ onei additional porter; 1 (b) call applications for two housemaids and two wardsmaids l ; (c) call applications for a cook for the Masterton Hospital at a wage of £4 per week and live-in; (d) increase wages of the domestic staffs of all institutions to the scale paid at the 31st March, 1931.

Mr H. M. Mawley said the board had definitely to restore wages to 1931, as from Ist July, which in many cases was considerably higher than had beeu paid to date. It was recommended that a cook be paid over the present award at £4 a week and live in.

Mrs Fletcher: “I would like to know how many cooks the hospital had had in the last four years? Is there any complaint about the kitchen? Off-, hand, I think there have been ten cooks in four years, which is too many?”

Miss Kenny said she would like to suggest that a Sister be placed in charge of the kitchen. It has been found elsewhere that this was an excellent idea and the kitchen was run on much more satisfactory lines. Mrs Fletcher: “I moved four months ago that a Sister-Dietitian should be appointed. ’ ’ The secretary-manager said as far he could remember there had been about eight or nine cooks. He could not say definitely offhand, however, without looking up records. “Regarding cooks,” said the chairman, “all know they come and go; their work is very strenuous and we can’t, stop them.” With reference to the employment of a isister-dietitian, the chairman pointed out to Miss Kenny that this should be brought up before the estimates were gone into for the following year. It was decided that the Finance Committee’s action be approved and the discussion ended.