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talked Chinese and English it would be a great benefit to the medical officers. Otherwise we will have to send home for two more nurses; we must have more if all the Sisters here at present are going to get their fair share of leave. That means $60 a month for each, rations $15 a month, and a uniform, besides $300 each way for passage. I am afraid one would not be enough. Miss EASTMOND, I believe, stated two Sisters would never be away together, but she asks to say they have; and if they all take their vacation leave you would have two away for four months of the year. During the past year, our present staff of nurses, without exception has not been so good as they were before as so many have been sick. They have all suffered in health to a great extent, but we cannot always be writing about every little case to the Colonial Surgeon. Every one of the Sisters has sufferred severely.
Dr. PRESTON. That is owing to exceptional circumstances?
Dr. Lowson.-Yes.
Mr. THURBURN. According to the Matron's evidence, two will go off this year and after that there will always be two away. Therefore, it seems to me you must either get two more from home or else the nurses trained here would be permanently in the Hospital.
Dr. Lowsox.-There is another view of training these girls; looking at it from the public point of view it is desirable that these girls should get something to do.
We get them for practically nothing; we teach them, and if we find they are good we could keep them on.
Mr. THURBURN.—Practically they would have to do the work of Sisters?
Dr. Lowson. Under the supervision of Sisters. One Sister with the assistance
of one of these girls might do one flat of the Hospital at a pinch.
Mr. MCCONACHIE.What is the ultimate position they would attain?
Dr. Lowson.-Nurses; not Sisters.
Mr. MCCONACHIE.-You do not mean that these women should attain to the posi tion of Sisters and be allowed all the privileges of Sisters and living in the same house? Dr. Lowson.-No; because we could not train them well enough. We could make them useful nurses and useful members of society. They would require to be always under the supervision of a Sister from whom they could get advice if it was wanted.
Mr. THURBURN.-On the whole you recommend them in preference to getting out two new Sisters ?
Dr. Lowson. As an administrative officer of the Government wishing to save money and to get things as nearly perfection as possible I suggest them.
Mr. THURBURN.--You recommend them purely because they are able to talk Chinese?
Dr. Lowsos.-Yes; and on economical grounds. If I were in charge and were allowed to do anything I wanted I would get several Sisters out from home; but look at the money, it will cost $720 a year each.
THE PRESIDENT.-Apart from the cost, which do you prefer to have two Sisters from home or to have two or four or six of these women in the position of nurses?
Dr. Lowson.-I would rather have two English nurses out. With our Sisters going home presently, two English nurses would be advisable, but you have to pay $720 each a year for them with all extras. We will know in about three months whether these girls are likely to do well-before any of the Sisters leave. These girls have the advantage of being able to tell us about the Chinese patients, and will be able to nurse most of the Chinese cases as well as the Sisters do-except surgical cases.