SOMES ISLAND

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 201, 20 May 1919, Page 6

SOMES ISLAND

OLD BUILDINGS TOBE USED DECISION OF MINISTER / SPEED PROMISED 0 . ' A visit of inspection to the quarantine station at Somes Island was made by tho Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister of Public Health) yesterday morning. His purpose was to see what 'work would bo necessarv to equip the island as a quarantine station, ready to receive a considerable number of people from a ship arriviug in port with some such disease ,bs board. The intention had been to rebuild the station, abandoning the old buildings, but the Minister formed the opinion that it will be possible to renovate them sufficiently to serve for quarantine purposes for a time at least. On his return from the island the Minister made thu following statement to a reporter:— "I regret that I did not do this three or. four months ago. . The buildings are in the condition that wight be expected after having been in s occupation by German prisoners,-for noarly four years. That there are possible discomforts tjnd inconveniences, I am quito prepared to admit: but. at. the same time, whatever is thfijr condition. I think it was good enough for the' persons who had occupied them for tho last three. and a half or four years. Some repairs and renovations are required, largely in the way of repainting the interiors and in some portions removing timber from one building which has been lined originally with while pine, and in which the borer has ma'dt havoc. Tho undor timber, however, is in perfectly sound condition, and thero is not very much of the building in which the lining will require to be removed. The buildings ; are somewhat old-fashioned, but it would be a reckless waste of money to removo -them. Instructions have been given that complete renovation is to take place inside at once. The painting of the outside will he left until timed are more normal. "Tho' water supply at present', when put into complete order, will provide 28,000 gallons, and a tank which is now in course of erection on the hill, and into which tho water will bo pumped, will provide. for another 35,000 gallons, .and will enable a complete reticulation over the whole of the buildings to, be made.

, "A considerable number of the windows have been broken. At present they_ are covered with the wire-netting which was necessary when the.buildings were occupied by 1 the Germans. Tho whole of this will be immediately removed, and my impression is that during the next three or four weeks a very great change will take place in the buildings. The Public Health Department has not , been able to obtain any hutments from tho Defence Department, those at Featliurston, which were offered, .being entirely unsuitable for. the purpose. Consequently the erection of the new hutments will .be postponed , until the complete -renovation of the present buildings has been' effected. The Public Works Department is being aeked to employ the utmost expedition in renovating the buildings now in existence; and I anticipate a report by to-morrow as to the labour that they are able to command, and tho period they will take to do the, work. ;lf necessary, the Health Department will be prepared to assist, in ob/ taining labour, either in Wellington or other centres, in order that the' work mav'be done expeditiously.

"One of the problems is the road connecting the wharf with the buildings at the top of. the island. As the distance is only about 150 yards as the crow flies, I am asking tho Minister of Railways if ho will send one of his engineers to report on the desirability of a cable tramway being laid with a double line, by : wlnch means -the road can be dono without. This is necessary, as there is no roa(l metal upon the island, and consequently the existing road cannot possibly carry the hfeaVy traffic. A communication has gone to the Minister of Railways asking'him to send one of his engineers to the island for the purpose of reporting on'the construction of a two-line tramway from the wharf to the tableland on which the buildings stand, and to report on what power would be necessary to wwk a system of the sort. My idea is -that it should be a gravitation system, by whiclrthe empty trucks returning to the botton should help to draw up the full trucks from- tho bottom.

"The- Y.M.C.A. hut which Is on the island will bo commandeered fis an additional ward, and instructions have also been given for the preparation of plane of- a complete hospital in- brick on portion of the land now occupied hp - tho Agricultural Department, which will be requested to make this portion of the' island available. A caretaker's cottaga will also be necessary in order that tho present excellent littlo hospital may bo vacated and made available for use.

"With regard to tbe complaints that; have been made as to the condition o? the buildings: to anyone inspecting them as quarantine buildings, no doubt there is plenty of room for complaint, but tho buildings are there, and paint, like charity, covers a multitude of sins. All that is wanted, in my opinion, to bring the institution well up to date is to take the steps that have now been ordered, and a very few weeks will, I believe, 6eo the quarantine station at Somes Island in an effective condition, while tho new buildings, that are to bo erected wilWiicrease the accommodation from the 300 that will be available when renovations are effected to 500 later on."