H.—22.

Revenue and Expendituee. Revenue. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. From Government ... ... 3,114 3 6 Rations ... ... ... 2,274 14 0 Local bodies ... ... ... 3,114 3 6 Nurses' Home maintenance ... 623 11 8 Subscriptions and donations ... 71 3 9 Wines, spirits, ale, and porter ... 55 17 4 Bequests ... ... ... 1,834 0 0 Surgery and dispensary ... 857 17 8 Patients'payments ... ... 3,140 11 9 Fuel and light ... ... 729 10 4 Bedding and clothing ... ... 450 5 1 Furniture and earthenware ... 255 4 5 Washing and laundry ... ... 283 7 6 Salaries and wages ... ... 2,988 6 1 Water-supply ... ... 198 8 0 Funerals ... ... ... 26 10 0 Maintenance of grounds ... 127 1 7 Repairs ... ... ... 476 12 6 Additions to buildings ... ... 1,394 19 5 Printing, advertising, postage, and stationery ... ... ... 136 11 7 Legal expenses ... ... 7 3 6 Insurance ... ... ... 16 15 0 Proportion of office expenses ... 242 5 6 Interest ... ... ... 99 3 6 Other expenses ... ... 29 17 10 Total ... ...£11,274 2 6 Total ... ...£11,274 2 6 This hospital was visited by me on the 21st September and on the 23rd February ; by Mrs. Neill in November and on the sth, 13th, and 14th May. There is considerable though spasmodic agitation going on about the long hours of the nursing staff, and a demand for an eighthours day. As regards the long hours, there is no doubt that for a part of the year unfairly heavy work was thrown on the matron and several of the strong and willing nurses, partly owing to the resignation of several of the more experienced nurses and partly owing to what I consider laxity in letting nurses off duty and granting holidays for slight ailments. I cannot help thinking that the state of feeling in and about the hospital regarding the demands of the nursing staff points to a great danger ahead of our system of female nursing. It is becoming so expensive that it may fall by its own weight. To introduce an eight-hours day in Auckland means an increase, roughly, of one-third in the number of nurses. The nurses' home has already had to be extended, and a larger extension will soon become necessary. The summer and especially the autumn months (the fever season) are exceptionally heavy, and I think the nursing lectures ought, so far as possible, to be confined to the winter in order to lighten the work in the busy time. The defective drainage of the fever wards has been remedied. More bathing-accommodation is required in the nurses' home. The practice of granting midwifery certificates based on merely theoretical instruction ought to be discontinued.

BLENHEIM HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1896 ... ... ..23 Admitted during the year... ... ... ... 143 Total under treatment ... ... ... 166 Discharged ... ... ... ... .: ... ... 130 Died ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 Remaining on 31st March, 1897 ... ... ... ... 28 Sex. —95 males, 71 females. Localities from which Patients came. —Marlborough, Nelson, West Coast, Canterbury, Napier, New Plymouth, Wellington, Otago, Auckland. Country. —England, Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Germany, Nova Scotia. Religion. —Church of England, Eoman Catholic, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, Salvationist, Lutheran, Adventists. Total collective days' stay in hospital, 7,075; individual average days' stay, 42-62. Daily average cost per head, ss. 3^d.; lees patients' payments, 4s. 9d.

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