The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-16
.HILO HAS
NEEDS.
Wants an Enlarg ed
Hospital
Plan.

YR ILO wants to enlarge the scope of
II its hospital and to pay it's super
HI intendent and nurse more money.
The Hilo hospital, while under
the direct supervision of a board of
trustees, is Territorial institution and
receives from the Treasury about $3.50
"a month for support.
The trustees have written to the
Board of Health asking for power to
increase salaries and also to receive en-
dowments of beds from individuals
and corporations 1t is believed that
some of the big companies and planta-
tions in and about Hilo would gladly
donate sums to the hospital for the en-
dowment of beds.
The trustees of the hospital have adj
dressed the following letter to tre
Board. which was read at the meeting
yesterday:
AT a meeting of the trustees of the
Hiio Hospital this week, Miss Murphy
stated to the trustees that she did not
feel that she ought to stay and work
for the Hilo Hospital longer at a wage
of $25 per month, as she has received
an offer for another good position She
has been with us long enough TO
demonstrate that she is thoroughly
competent. She is large, strong,
healthy woman, and much liked by
both patients and physicians. She Is
willing to stay on Indefinitely at $50
month, but not for less.
We feel that not only she should be
paid this amount, but that 1t will be
an irreparable loss to our hospital to
lose her, especially as Miss Grub says
she does not care to remain If Miss
Murphy goes for the work ana care
is more than she can stand without a
reliable assistant Miss Grub has not
lately asked that her pay be raised,
and though she has heretofore said
that she intended to stay whether her
pay was raised or not, / know she con-
siders herself underpaid, but she is
sentimentally attached to the institu
ton. We have felt all along that it
was an imposition to ask a nurse OF
her training and ability TO work for
the pay she has.
We, the trustees, wish to raise the
pay of Miss Grub to $50 per month
and the pay of Miss Murphy to $50 per
month Miss Grub is very careful
and economical manager, and she
probably saves the amount of her
wages each month in the running eX-
pense of the hospital, and she uses
very good judgment in her economy.
Our Hilo physicians tell us that we
cannot possibly get other nurses who
will be as we'll suited to the work here.
AS we have tried these ladies and
found them in every way satisfactory,
and they work together in harmony,
we are satisfied that their services
should be retained.
The Hilo Hospital is not an institu-
ton suitable only for coolies and the
lower grades of humanity but it is
popular, and patronized by the very
best of our people as well as the poor
est, and l do not think that any other
similar institution on the Hawaiian
Islands is Kept as we'll as this.
/ wish to be informed If the Board
of Health will approve of our getting
individuals. societies, plantations or
transportation companies to support
by the year or endow beds in the hos
pital; also, if the Board Of Health will
allow the trustees to rearrange rates
of charge, with view of increasing
the popularity and income of the hos
pital.
The trustees think it would be con
ducive to the moral welfare of the
Hilo Hospital to have an honorary staff
of physicians, to be composed of all
the doctors within reasonable reach Of
the town who are willing to serve on
1T. and we wish to know if the Board
will approve of our taking steps to this
end
Hoping to receive a reply on the
matter of the salaries of our two
nurses as soon as possible, I remain,
Yours. truly, l.. A ANDREWS,
Chairman Trustees Hilo Hospital.
Member George w. Smith, after the
letter was read, said that endowed beds
We're not in the province of the Terri
tory. If the hospital was semi-private.
as the Queens, the question might be
considered.
DR.. Cooper thought that the Board
had nothing to say in the matter, as the
trustees regulated these things. DR..
Pratt said the hospital gets $3.50 a
month for its support from the Terri
tory. A committee was appointed to
look into the matter and also 10 inves
tigate and settle the status of Territor-
ial hospitals. The .committe Wild con-
sist of Drs Emerson and Pratt and
Raymond.