POLITICAL JOTTINGS

Hokitika Guardian, 15 September 1925, Page 3

POLITICAL JOTTINGS

LETTERS J' P.O.U LUNATICS

“No one gets more letters Iront lunatics than 1 do. ’ Sir Maui Bomare. Minister-iu-Charge of Mental IB spitals. Sir Maui added that be even got letters from members of Parliament.. “AGAINST COMMISSION'S.” -| ant against commissions. ’’ said Sir Maui I’omart- when be was piloting ibe Mental Hospitals estimates through the llniiso. “[!' we inn ro|.,rui our institutions from within. I ,ati it i- letter than reforming t hem Imm w itlunii. On the one hand von i.ii-e a tremendous til's, which m.i/.l be oartlv true. lan would be mi -ero-ropical ly enlarged, and I am not going to be a party to that. If • 1 1;ii 11 the next six imnitbs aiir in-,-tiiutious have not been improved out .if sight you can have as many Royal Commissions as you like. But give us a (liance to tinisli the job we have embarked on/'

MILK OK lIU.MAN KINDNESS. Sir Maui Romaic thinks that the ns u , :,.| women who go to mental hospitals to work are the most humane of people. “They mtl.-t be/' be -ay-. “I believe the milk of human kindness is more developed in them than in many others. However, if there are complaints they must be investigated, and if it means the sacking el an individual, he ~r she must Mr Sullivan: What method of Lives! iuatinn do you adopt- ; Sir Maui: Co ami do i t my sell. . . O'IAKI SAN ATI JR I CM. The Minister for Health Mated that though accommodation at 01itki Sanatorium had been inadequate lor the number of applications for Inals the necessity had been recognised, and tin- department bad a building programme 'providing for 20 extra beds, a programme which was now in the bands of tbe Public Works' Department. M \ORI PREJUDICE. Increased bespit a.! aceommjedat ion at Chatham Islands was asked by Mr •I. McCombs (Lyttelton), who declared that tbe Maoris there had sanctioned and even emit rihnti'i! inwards adequate beds t here. Tbe Minister for Health (Kir Maui Pom.'ire 1 ) replied that six beds had been provided fm- mi Chatham Islands. The Maori, be explained, possessed an unusually intense prejudice against t-be hospital, because if a native died in the institution they would not again venture near it. COAL ON X.Z. R \ I I .WAYS. hi answer to a question bv Mr. Holland. the Prime Minister stated that the inquiry into the use of New Zealand Mini on the railways was nearing completion. IL- doubted, however, if it would be completed in lime to he presented lo Parliament this session. Ilk unib'islrod the inquiry board bad completed most of tbe trials in tbe North Island and (Ini! some bad been carried oat in Hu- soiiili Island, most of tbe detail work bad been completed. leu lint ih" linn! t rials in the South Maud of idill'eretit kinds of coal, but these were under way. I'ul-verisi-d ' mil bad been tried and was a success. The d i liidi 11 y was in have Il all over tbe country. What they were Irving at the moment, was a method ni mixing the coal if it was found necessary in u-i- New Zealand and imported coal. TWO PER l ENT’. IinPEI-l'L. According to the Minister ol Menial I[' snita!.-. *nbn lll 2 per cent, only of the patient- who an- in mental institutions al the, present time are (.rating on these/' he said in making this a n lion in emeu I. “and are giving them the 111-si | I,l' a: in .rd'-r lo leave nothing undone lo restore them to normal/’ CENEVA PROTOCOL. In replying to. a question tin- Prime Minister stated that cm I ospoiii lene • had passed hclwcen New Zealand and ot Icr (.overnment> .• 1 1 it•! 1 y the Imperial Cov eminent in rc-p<" t to the Geneva Peace Protocol, and he proposed in lay this before idle House as soon as it litis availahle. lie would probably inform t!.- Hou.-e in Tuesday on vv ha'. day he would be able to bring it down. When the nittO-T had been previously mentioned it had been suggested that a separate day he set, aside |o discuss it. EAT SEAWEED. During the discussion ol’ the Health Department Estimates last night i here wa, some talk about the prevalence of goitre in New Zealand. Sir Mam Roman- said there was one thing he wished to correct in rch-rcuce to ti'' cure of goitre, ami that was that our ordinary table salt was not a spe —tie hecan.se owing to its having- u'tined there was no iodine in it. The wlcde qttestion bad been gone into in the depart lueiil a! report. A gen -ra survey of the "bole ol Liu- New Zealand land had been made and 'be ops analysed, because it was thought that the lack of iodine in tbe miil was ill. cause of goitre. A question bad arc- -u as to why goitre was not pr.-.ad -ut among tbe Maoris in earlier day s, i b' 1 reason probable was because the eo-i tal natives gathered seaweed which they bartered with the natives inland. An lion, member: Mhat did l bey d* with it ? Sir Maui: It wa- cooked and eaten. He believed that on the west ca-t ol Ireland the -nine thing was done, and believed it was also eaten on some na rt s of tbe Ereneli coast. ••Tberel'oi-g" added Sir Maui. " I would i-f-'Oiumend my European Iriends to eat a little seaweed/' (Laughter.) Till-: LATE DR. HAY. T la- services .|| the late Dr I'. Hay Wore the subject ot lilting rel-ren'-c during the deliate on the Mental Hospitals Esti’mates. Mr P. Era'.' WcUiltgt!.:! ( eti’ rail -.dd it was partietilaiTv appropriate, while ttie.-e i.stllaatcs were Icing discussed, that Hie

Hot'..-..- should, record at- tnhiile to toe gentleman. nlid expri -s -impure v.n , his relatives. .Mr- \V. 11. r'ield Htaki .-aid lent hill '.hose 1,1,', Were eooneeted with i mentui hospitals , ottld lolly anpreoiaio th*' full worth ot Hr Hay. whose plae • | would he difficult to nil. The .Minister for Health (Sir -M. I Poniard -aid he left a IKM'-nnal k,-s in the death of Hr Hay. though the ~renter loss wa- to the wit'de eountiv. for a man of his ealihre was didicult to locate. The Minister also paid a irilmte to the real nl the -tall atm its lovnllv to th.e de],art incut in the many changes which, bad been made during the past few months change- which were to mean a great, deal to the us i lure of mental hospitals throughout the Dominion. SAMOA SHOW'S A PROFIT. The Prime Minister ( Hon ■> • Contest informed the House, in iei,l\ to a question, that although a l«>s= ' had at first been recorded on the nil- . ministration of Samoa. profit of £*22.000 was recorded last year, and there was every indication of P this year.