H—3l.

Unemployment. Like other professions, nurses have suffered severely during the past year from unemployment. This has greatly increased the work of the Nursing Division, as the number applying for assistance, either by correspondence or interview, has been very large. Many have been helped, though it has been found necessary in some instances for them to accept work at other than their own profession. Retirement of Officeks. Fourteen nurses have left the service of the Department, three on the occasion of their marriage, one for private reasons, and ten senior officers have been retired on superannuation, the majority of the latter being replaced within the Department with no new appointments. It is with the greatest regret that the Department loses their services after years of faithful work. They all carry with them the good wishes of their fellow-officers. Before concluding, I would like to express the deep appreciation felt by New Zealand nurses in general of Miss J. Bicknell, my predecessor, who retired as from the Ist April last year. Her sympathy and sense of justice, together with her general interest in promoting the advancement of nursing education throughout New Zealand, have made her term of office a notable one. In this my first year of office I cannot conclude without expressing my gratitude for the loyal and helpful support given to me not only from the nursing staff of the Department, but also from the various members of the other Divisions, the matrons of the public hospitals, and the nursing profession as a whole. This valued co-operation made possible the achievements of a year distinguished by particularly difficult administrative problems. M. I. Lambie, Director, Division of Nursing.

PART VII.—MATERNAL WELFARE.

REPORT OF INSPECTOR OP PRIVATE MATERNITY HOSPITALS. Dr. T. L. Paget, L.R.C.P., London; M.R.C.P. England. I have the honour to present my annual report for the year ending 31st March, 1932. As time advances the measures instituted for maternal welfare will, it is confidently anticipated, steadily approach the ideal. This year there are encouraging signs that such measures as described have exerted an appreciable influence towards this end. MATERNITY AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS. In addition to the public medical and surgical hospitals, which also admit to the general wards a few emergency maternity cases, cases of puerperal sepsis and obstetrical cases requiring surgical intervention, there are seven St. Helens or State-controlled maternity hospitals providing 121 beds, 75 public maternity hospitals or maternity annexes attached to public hospitals providing 508 beds, 282 private hospitals providing 852 maternity and 1,333 medical and surgical beds. Seventy-three of,the maternity hospitals also admit a limited number of medical and surgical cases under strict regulations excluding or restricting the admission of septic surgical cases.

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