In a paper read at the Philadelphia meeting of hospital superintendents, Mr. Lathrop threw out a suggestion about engaging servants that might well be adopted by hospitals in general. In referring to the system of hospital records and reports used in Roosevelt Hospital, he said: “A book, entitled ‘A List of Officers and Employees,’ alphabetically arranged, contains the signature of each to a contract at the head of the page. The contract reads as follows: [Sidenote: Contract] “I, the undersigned, accept the terms herein mentioned, agree to do faithfully the work assigned to me and to conform to all rules of the hospital while in its employment; and it is distinctly understood and agreed that whether I am paid by the day, week, month or year, my engagement is to terminate upon notice by the superintendent that my services are no longer required; and upon payment being made to me for the actual time of service rendered, I agree to accept and receipt for the same in full consideration for all demands against the institution. The hospital reserves the right to deduct for absence from whatever cause.” This contract reduces to a minimum the difficulty in getting rid of undesirable help without unpleasantness. The last clause is especially important. The only possible way of making an impression on some servants, and keeping them up to the mark in punctuality, is by touching their pocket. When the absence or tardiness occurs from a legitimate cause, as in illness, it may not be best, if the time lost is trifling, to make any deduction, but at any rate the servant should understand that part of the agreement, and when it is not enforced he will be likely to have a due appreciation of the fact. _Merit System_ When a hospital pays a fair rate of wages to its employees it is in a position to insist on certain conditions, and to maintain certain standards regarding work in all departments. If it pays the lowest market price for such labor it must expect its servants to remain only till something better is found. The merit system has been successfully used in other lines of work, and ought to yield equally good results in a hospital. If after giving a servant a fair trial, he is found faithful and anxious to please and capable, he ought to be shown that these qualities are appreciated. If he was engaged for fifteen dollars a month, a raise of wages of one dollar every three or four months until it has reached a certain point, would give him some inducement to stay. The habit of expressing satisfaction with work well done is a powerful incentive to continuance in well doing and better service in the future. Servants are all human. They need reproof and correction, but need quite as much the kind word of appreciation of their efforts. There are but few people who will long continue to do their best if they think nobody cares or notices it. [Sidenote: Schedule of Work]