PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4152, 11 July 1874, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

DR. PALET’S REPORT ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS. The long-delayed report of Dr. Paley, on the Lunatic Asylums of the Colony, was forwarded on November 27th, 1873, from London. It includes descriptions of several asylums which Dr. Paley had visited, -with recommendations as to their improvement; but the general question of the management of asylums in the Colony is treated thus by Dr. Paley in a preface and appendix to his report : Sir, —Referring to your letter of the 81st of August, 1872,1 have the honor to inform you that, in compliance with the request contained therein, I made inspection of the Lunatic Asylums at Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, and Dunedin, on the dates severally set forth in the reports hereto appended. Following the guidance of your letter I made careful inquiry into the state of the buildings, their adaptability or otherwise to the purpose to which they are applied, and the condition in which they are kept; also into the mode of treatment adopted towards the patients, the discipline maintained, and the suitableness generally for the position they hold of the staff medical and lay, employed at each asylum inspected by me.

The results of my examination, together with consequent observations and suggestions, are embodied in papers which I now beg to submit for your consideration. I regret that owing to the short time at my disposal in New Zealand I found it impossible to visit the asylums at Hokitika, New Plymouth, and Napier. I learned, however, that a new asylum was in course of construction at Hokitika, and that the number of insane at New Plymouth and Napier was so small that it did not seem necessary at that time to construct a separate building for their reception. With reference to the supervision and management of the asylums in your Colony, I was led to the conclusion, in the course of my investigations, that it was highly desirable to adopt a system of uniformity based on well recognized principles. With this view I venture to offer in Appendix 2 certain recommendations, the adoption of which null, I believe, tend to ameliorate the condition of the patients, and render more effective the action of those who are intrusted with their care.

The question of providing for all the insane of yoyr Colony by the construction of one or more central asylums, though not specially mentioned in your letter, seems to arise so naturally in revising the whole subject, that it would seem an omission if it were passed by in silence.

The chief advantages of a central asylum are—l. Facility of supervision ;2. Economy of management.

The objections to it (as affecting New Zealand at the present time) are, —1. Difficulty of conveying patients from distant places. 2. Removal of patients beyond reach of personal communication with their friends. Transit of insane persons of every class (whatever the kind of mental disorder under which they labor), is attended with more or less risk to themselves and those around them. In many cases their conveyance from place to place involves great danger, and when their disease is maniacal in character and there is concomitant physical prostration, it becomes a matter of difficulty to sustain life during a long journey. When it is necessary for patients to travel by sea, all danger to their health and all difficulties to their attendants are very much enhanced; they are often unavoidably subjected to such bodily inconvenience, if not suffering, as may even have the effect of rendering them permanently and incurably unsound in their minds.

The separation of patients from friends, relations, home, and local interest, deprives them of a very powerful and important means of restoration to sound reason. The first approach of many insane persons to convalescence is indicated by a re-awakened anxiety about their homes and their belongings; and nothing s«

much tends to help their progress towards recovery as the presence and personal sympathy of relations or friends in whom they can have confidence and trust. On the whole, then, I am of opinion that it is advisable, in the interests of the insane, to retain the local asylums in those districts which contain the greatest number of patients, reconstructing them on approved plans, and, where necessary, reorganising them on a proper basis.

In closing this communication, I beg permission to state that the delay which has occurred in the transmission of it has been caused by hindrances wholly beyond my control* and of which X had not the smallest anticipation when I left New At that time I hoped to be able to send in my report very soon after X returned to Victoria, and' I can now only trust that you will have the goodness to excuse the unavoidable omission. In conclusion, permit me to say that if at any fixture time you should desire any information or assistance it is in my power to give in connection with your asylums, my best services will be at your disposal.

PROVISIONS RECOMMENDED FOB THE SUPERVISION AND MANAGEMENT OP LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN NEW ZEALAND.

1. Appoint a duly qualified medical practitioner, haling knowledge and experience in the treatment of the insane, and the management of Asylums, to be the Inspector of all the Asylums in the Colony. 2. Appoint a resident Medical Superintendent to every asylum containing 100 patients or upwards. 3. Let every Asylum containing fewer than 100 patients be visited at least once a day by a qualified medical practitioner. 4. Appoint a local Inspector of every Lunatic Asylum, who shall receive a salary and shall perform the duties prescribed by the Lunacy Act. 5. Provide for every Asylum (in addition to medical attendant, steward, matron, cook, laundresses, &c.) a staff consisting of one attendant to every ten patients ; let there be a male night attendant for each male division, and a female night attendant for each female division; let night attendants be free from day duty, and let no male attendant or servant or patient be allowed in the female division of the asylum, or vice verst!, without an order from the responsible officer of the establishment. 6. Make provision for the reception and treatment of middle-class private patients apart from paupers, and prohibit the association of inebriate patients with other insane persons of any class. 7. Allow idiots and imbeciles who are dangerous to themselves or others, and are thereby unfit, to be at large, to be admitted for care and treatment into the public asylum of the Colony. S. Give to all who are employed in asylum duties a regular increment of salary np to a fixed maximum, and make provision for superannuation allowances such as are to be found in the Victoria Lunacy Statute.

PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION OF IMMIGRATION.

One paper presented to Parliament consists of a series of correspondence between the Hon. Commissioner for Immigration and the Superintendents of the several Provinces. The following is the Commissioner’s circular by which the correspondence was Initiated : Immigration Office, Wellington, 14th October, 1873.

Sir, —I have the honor to inform you that it

the desire of the Government to arrange with the Provincial Governments to take charge, as far as may be possible, of immigrants on their arrival in the several Provinces, and to investigate and report upon the arrangements, &c., for and during the voyage of each vessel

I have, therefore, to ask whether you are willing to take such charge, upon the following conditions :

1. That you act in conformity with the instructions you from time to time receive from the Minister for Immigration. 2. That, subject to the last condition, you be guided in the usual manner by the advice of your Executive. 3. That the Immigration Officer be under your direction, but still be at liberty to communicate directly with, and to receive communications directly from, the Minister for Immigration, should occasion for such direct communication arise.

4. That you do not incur any expenditure on behalf of the Department, -without authority for the same.

5. That you take charge of the immigration barracks and depots, and the quarantine buildings ; the Immigration Department providing a fair sum to meet necessary expenditure. Should it be deemed advisable, as it no doubt will be, to establish depots for immigrants in the interior of the Province, I should rely upon your aiding the Government to do so at the least possible expense, both in respect to obtaining buildings cheaply, and the general management of the depots. The Government do not, by these proposals, deprive themselves of the right to deal directly with the question of special settlements. They are, however, at present of opinion that such settlements can best be founded with the active aid and co-operation of the Provincial Governments ; and they are not indisposed to entertain proposals with the object of founding such settlements.

When the labor market is better supplied, it will be important to establish general labor exchange offices, upon the plan of those which have been found beneficial in various parts of the United States. At present, however, the demand for labor is so great, that elaborate machinery of the kind is not required. I suggest for your consideration the appointment of unpaid Boards in various parts of the country, composed of ladies and gentlemen who gratuitously will give their services for the purpose of receiving immigrants on their first arrival, and giving them such friendly aid and counsel as it may be in their power to render. It is difficult to over-estimate the importance of creating a favorable impression on the minds of immigrants on their first arrival Pirst impressions are proverbially lasting, and based on those first impressions will, in a large majority of cases, be the recommendations the immigrants send home to their friends to come out or stay where they are. , It is not proposed to discontinue the services of the Immigation Commissioners, but they will be required to report to you, sending at the same time a duplicate to me. I have to express the hope that, should you undertake the proposed duties, you will keep me promptly and fully supplied with" information respecting the manner in which the immigrants are brought out, and their health and comfort attended to.

You are aware that it is part of the duty of the immigration officers to receive nominations for immigrants, and to see to the collection from immigrants of amounts due under their promissory notes. It may be desirable to leave it, for the present, an open question whether these duties of the immigration officer should he performed in direct communication with this department, or under the instructions of the Provincial Government. Upon this question I shall be glad to be informed of your opinion.

Whilst this department will be prepared to allow a reasonable expenditure for purposes of the same character as those the cost of which it now defrays, I shall not be prepared to sanction any expenditure which ought to bo defrayed out of Provincial funds. For example, claims have been sent in for the maintenance of immigrants in hospitals. Surely, if the Colony brings out the immigrants, they should be entitled to the same consideration as the ordinary residents in the Provinces. I beg you to observe that it is not proposed you should correspond with the AgentGeneral.

It should be clearly understood that, should the arrangement now suggested be found not to work well, the Government will hold themselves at liberty to put an end to it. I am, jowever, of opinion that it will work well, and that the Provincial Governments will be able to materially aid the General Government in promoting suitable immigration to the Colony. —I have, &c,, Jouua Voaix.