LESS OVERCROWDING

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1070, 6 September 1930, Page 16

LESS OVERCROWDING

GOVERNMENT AND MENTAL HOSPITALS APPROPRIATION OVERSPENT TBE SL'-V'S Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON, Friday. An assurance that the overcrowding in mental hospitals had been considerably lessened was given in tbe House of Representatives today by the Minister in Charge of Mental Hospitals, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, during the discussion ou the mental hospitals estimates. He mentioned that more had been spent last year on mental hospitals than in any previous two years by his department. The question of overcrowding at Porirua was raised by Mr. P. Fraser (Labour —Wellington Central), who said that when the Wellington members visited the hospital before the present Government took office the overcrowding was very bad indeed. He understood tiat some of the patients had been removed, and he would like the Minister to state the present position and the programme in hand to meet the requirements of patients. « -The Minister said that there whs no ground for uneasiness and the position at Porirua was that overcrowding had become less acute now.

Mr. Fraser: But are they still using the shakedowns between the ordinary beds at Porirua?

The Minister said that this was being done to a limited extent only. He might mention, he said, that the capital expenditure on mental hospitals last year was £152,000. Although he did not wish to boast, he might say that this was tbe first time on record that the appropriation for capital expenditure on public buildings for mental hospital purposes had been overspent! It was double the amount of any two previous successive years. This was an indication that the Government was doing everything possible to tackle the overcrowding problem. He mentioned that new buildings were being put up at. Hokitika, Waitaki and- Christchurch.