, 1961-07-28
LEGISLATIVE RECORD ...
Continued From Thursday.
PRIVILEGES OF THE FLOOR
THE PRESIDENT: Are there any privileges Of the
Floor?
DR.. ANDUZE: Mr.. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Senator Anduze.
DR.. ANDUZE: Mr.. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Senator Anduze.

HI PRESIDENT: Senator Anduze.
DR.. ANDUZE: Mr.. President, I'd like to discuss
briefly a phase Of the Housing Problem that was touched
on very lightly. This morning it was brought out by the
Department Of Public Safety that the problem Of public
housing affected them to a small degree particularly at
the time of the exchange of personnelfrom one island to
the other-in conformity with a Program which that de
partment had.
But to a greater extent the Department of Health
and the Department Of Education suffer this housing
shortage. I have been told by one Of the officials of the
Health Department that they have salaries that are con-
sidered adequate for registered nurses, physlotherapists
and other technicians who would want to come down
here to the Health Department, but these people cannot
find adequate accommodations or accommodations that
would fit into their budgets. The Health Department
claims that this can be remedied as it is in other hospitals
on the mainland. For example, there are dormitory IA
ciities. They feel that if latter some study is made) dor
mitories are set up here and in Saint Croix and used
by these nurses, or technicians or the physiotherapists
who pay for these accommodations it would not be a
dead weight on the government. It would be an invest
ment by which we can regain our capital.
This is not only to help the conditions as far as re-
gistered nurses are concerned, but the matter OF physio-
therapists is something very seriously needed here. We
have quite a number Of amputees-indiVidualS who can
not afford to be off the islandfor physiotherapeutic treat
ment. They need this treatment before they can be fitted
with artificial limbs. Therefore it is a serious condition
we are facing. I have been told that there are physio-
therapists who would come down here. The salary pro-
vided for in the Budget is adequate but the housing is
the problem. With dormitory facilities these people
wouldn't think twice, they would come down here be
cause the salaries provided are on a par with what they
can get on the mainland, but they have there dor1nitory
facilities which we don't have. We have the things that
would be necessary for the physiotherapist to do his or
her job; the only thing that is lacking is the housing.
We have a condition in the Department of Educa-
ton where t~eachersc come down & stay only shorttim
in Saint Croix-I don't know whether the condition here
in Saint Thomas is the same-but we have a rapid turn
over of teachers in Saint Croix because when they come,
they can only stay for a short time since housing accom-
modations cannot fit into the budget. They are attracted
by the salary. The salary is byno means low as compared
with other places but the cost of living is too high.
That cannot be rectified as easily as the Health De
partment's situation. This would call for adequate mid
die income housing. Ihaveheld discussions on this sub
iect with different individuals in order to get a good idea
asto the type Of legislation that would be needed to help
that situation. | have been told that we could approach
thn PLANNING BOARD IN find o1t if thew wol1dSe IN Snpci-