MENTAL CASES

Hokitika Guardian, 19 June 1930, Page 7

MENTAL CASES

HOSPITAL VILLA SYSTEM.

W'ELLINGTON, Juno 16

When representatives of the Justices of the Peace Association waited upon uie Minister of Health to urge the establishment of half-way houses ii. New Zealand, things quickly became interesting.

After hearing the remarks of the first two speakers, Mr Stallworthy ask ed the deputation if any one of them had ever visited a Dominion mental hospital. Only one of the number said that he had. He had done so many years ago.

Plie Minister then expressed surprise that so responesible a body of men could continue to pass resolutions and make representations upon matters on which they had neglected all the available means of acquainting themselves with the active position. What the deputation was suggesting would be a costly method of providing something infinitely less scientific and practicable than the Dominion had already provided by means of the mental hospital villa system, and allied services.

The Minister sketched the scope of of the scheme and the revolution that wag rapidly being achieved not only in the mental institutions themselves, but also in the publio outlook upon the problem of mental diseases, The Minister showed protogrnphs and plans and Invited the deputatlonlsts, in their respective districts to see for themselves what was being done, The president said he was astonished and delighted to fi,nd (that the Minister was able to show them so Overwhelmingly that they had been barking up the wrong tree. The whole deputation frankly confessed their remissness iii not making themselves more familiar with the evidnee available and expressed themselves as immensely pleased with the Minister’s humanitarian outlook.