PAUPERS ADRIFT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 469, 7 May 1890, Page 5

PAUPERS ADRIFT.

SIX LUNATICS DISCHARGED. HARMLESS BUT HOMELESS. QUARTERED ON THE RATEPAYERS. Auckland, May 2. For some considerable time past there has been a good deal of correspondence passing between the Government and public officers in connection with the Lunatic Asylum here, with reference to a large number of patients . who are kept incarcerated in that_ institution, although harmless, and suffering Irom no other affliction than that of being aged, homeless, and failing in mental acuteness. The most recent development has taken place to-day, when Dr. Hassel, Superintendent of the Lunatic Asylum, acting, we understand, on instructions from the Government,, discharged from the institution six patients, who are said to be perfectly harmless, as they are suffering only from senile decay, and consequently unfit to remain incarcerated with dangerous lunatics. A POLITE REQUEST.

The contention of the . Asylum authorities is that these patients are more proDerly chargeable upon the Old Men’s Refuge, but hitherto the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board have declined to recognise this, and with the cry “ no room ” they have succeeded in putting off the evil day—but not for ever. About a week ago the secretary of the Charitable Aid Board received a letter from Dr. MacGregor, Inspector of Asylums, informing the Board that there were at present forty old people in the Asylum who were more properly chargeable upon the Old Men’s Refuge. Dr. MacGregor politely requested that the Board, now that they had such extensive accommodation at the new Costley Home for aged poor, should adopt these forty Asylum patients, and have them cared for at the cost of the ratepayers. All of our readers are probably aware that the maintenance of the Asylum is a charge upon the general revenue, while the ratepayers are called upon to provide funds for the maintenance of the “aged poor” who happen to be paupers likewise. Hence the eagerness with which both of these institutions would |throw their responsibility upon the other’s shoulders. QUITE A SURPRISE.

As the Charitable Aid Board does no meet till Monday afternoon next, the lette received from Dr. MacGregor ha not yet been before the Commit tee, and the surprise sprung upon them this afternoon was quite unexpected. The first heard of it by Mr Garland, the Secretary to the Board, was from one of our reporters who was making inquiry on the subject, and thought Mr Garland would be able to explain what action the Board had decided upon. But the Board had not even discussed the thing, and Mr Garland was left to make his preparations for reception or rejection of the six homeless ones, who, he was informed, would be deposited at the door of the Charitable Aid Board punctually at 3 p.m. Mr Garland said that the new Costley Home would not do much more than accommodate the large number of inmates of the old refuges, and that the Board could not, possibly take over all of those alleged to be harmless patients from the Lunatic Asylum, as they were requested to do by Di. MacGregor. THE POLICE INFORMED.

An official communication was also received at the Police Station concerning the intended descent of the “ harmless six upon the Charitable Aid Board, and Sergeant-Major Pratt was thus enabled to make up his mind what course bo pursue, calmly and deliberately, in the event of these “ harmless six ” being left on the street, as discharged lunatics, •who, being homeless and houseless, the Charitable Aid Board might nob agree to receive. To leave these half a dozen harmless, but perfectly helpless and friendless, old people on the streets would never do, for public opinion would not tolerate such a thing, and, failing the Charitable Aid Board’s exercise of charity unto thedeserted, they threatened to falluponthehandsofthe police. When they get far their only prospect would, as a matter of course, be a charge of vagrancy “no lawful visible means of support,” and a lengthy sentence to Mount Eden Gaol.

THE REASON WHY. A Star representative called upon Mr F. G. Ewington, the Official Visitor, to know the reason why of this extreme step having been adopted, and he kindly related the circumstances as follows :—For a long time past, old imbeciles have been crowded into the Asylum, although they are suffering from nothing bub senile decay, and we have found that there is a danger of overcrowding the building. Again and again have I reported kTthe Government against overcrowding, and Mr Theo. Cooper, deputy .inspector, v has done the same thing repeatedly. When we have spoken about the wrong detention in the Asylum of these people the reply has invariably been, “ They have no friends to receive them if they are discharged.” They are unable to earn their living, and the Government did not consent to turn these people out on the ptreets. I have always contended that this is not a sufficient plea to keep these old people in the Asylum. I have had frequent conversationswith the lateMr Justice Gillies about this matter, and Judge Gillies came with me to the Asylum for the purpose of making himself perfectly familiar with the facts. Ho said it was strictly illegal to keep these people there, and that although the Government have acted from the very best of intentions there is no doubt that they have acted illegally in keeping these people there. Nov, it has come to this pass that we are getting the Asylum crowded with these poor creatures who will never be any better, and who are rendering it less possible for those who are curable to be gob well. They have accumulated to such numbers that it has become more expensive to keep them j there than in the ordinary refuge, \ and the Goverment have decided \ we cannot possibly keep them any . longer. We require their space in the asylum for patients suffering from mental diseases. The Government have therefore decided that those men who are sufficiently cured shall have their discharge. They will simply be brought into town to-day and placed down at the door of the Charitable Aid Board. They will be penniless old men, who could not for the life of them earn a meal, and they must be looked after either by the Board or by the police. ARRIVAL IN HIGH-STREET. Abont 10 minutes to three this afternoon the eixpoor old fellows were driven quietly up to the door of the Charitable Aid Board offices in High-street in a couple of traps, They seemed quite careless of what happened to them and waited without a word ora sign that they understood anything

while the men in charge of them went to consult Mr Garland, Secretary of the Board as to what should be done with them. It was pitiful to see the vacant stare of the poor old men as they shivered with the cold of the wind that blew up the street. Only one gave any signof animation, and lie was an old Maori, who nodded and smiled to everyone about. One poor old fellow who come to the colony 30 years ago as doctor in charge of a ship, seemed quite oblivious to his surroundings, hanging on to the seat and moving his lips automatically. Mr Garland held a telephonic consultation witn Mr Atkin, Chairman of the Charitable Aid Board, and the result was that the old men were helped out of the traps and driven like stray sheep into the Police courtyard, Mr Garland protesting on behalf of the Board against the action of the Asylum authorities. Mr F. G. Ewington was presenb during a part of the time. The police will house the men to-night, and they will be brought before the Bench in the morning. The members of the Charitable Aid Board are being interviewed by the Secretary on the situation.

WHAT BECAME OF THE “ HARMLESS LUNATICS.”

A NIGHT IN THE POLICE STATION. REPUDIATED BY THE CHARITABLE AID BOARD. TAKEN IN BY THE SALVATION ARMY. THE GOVERNMENT CENSURED. SCENE IN THE POLICE COURT. Auckland, May 3. Tiie unfortunate half-dozen old men who were discharged from the Lunatic Asylum yesterday, and left at the.doors of the Charitable Aid offices in High-street, were accommodated for the night by the police in the lock up. They were nob treated as prisoners, but everything possible was done for their comfort that could be done in such quarters, several members of the Charitable Aid Board taking a lively interest in their temporary welfare. The Chairman of the Board declined to recognise any responsibility in the matter until it could be discussed by a meeting of the. Board. A special meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held at 10 a.m. to-day bo consider their position in relation to the difficulty. There were present the Chairman (Mr C. Atkin) and Messrs Mays, Lennox, Swales, |Kidd, and Dignan. The following letter from Dr. MacGregor, Inspector of Asylums, was read by the Secretary.

DR. MacGREGOR’S REQUEST. Inspector’s Office, Wellington, April 25th, 1890. Sir, —As I pointed out to you at my visit, in January last, the Auckland Asylum is getting overcrowded with merely old and helpless persons, who ought to be in a refuge, to the great saving of the taxpayers’ .money. These people were of necessity admitted to the Asylum under protest, simply because no suitable provision had been made for their safe keeping and support. They are beyond the reach of any. medical treatment, and their remaining in the Asylum involves a needless waste of public money. The male side of the Asylum is in such a state from overcrowding, that I do nob see how we can get over the winter without great hardships and suffering. No further additions to the Asylum are desirable. A new Asylum must be provided soon, bub at present it- is impossible to get the money. In these circumstances I venture bo appeal for relief to your Board. I arr. confident that they will nob allow the mbre distinction between local and general taxes to influence their decision. Will the Board admit forty of these chronic cases into the Costley Refuge?—l have, etc., D. MacGreoor. The Chairman Auckland and Charitable Aid Board.

AN ANIMATED DISCUSSION. The Chairman said he would not allow these old men from the Lunatic Asylum to be dumped into the Refuge until the matter had been discussed by the Board, and in the meantime he had a strong objection to receiving these men on any ground whatever. It seemed to him most unreasonable that the Asylum, when it had its collecting grounds over such a large portion of the North. Island, should expect one Charitable Aid Board to take the whole of the surplus inmate? and provide for them, for that was what Dr. MacGregor was asking the Board bo do. Another question for the Board to consider was whether the Asylum was a fib place from which surplus inmates should properly come bo the Charitable Aid Board. He had done what he could for these people as a private citizen, but declined to recognise any liability on the part of the Board in reference to them. DEFENCE OF THE GOVERNMENTMr 0. Mays said he had no hesitation in moving in the matter. He thought they could deal with the method which had been adopted of getting rid of these men by the Asylum authorities by-and-by, but in the meantime, the men should be taken to the Refuges. Dr. MacGregor was quite right in principle. If these men had no business in the Asylum, the honest and straight thing was to turn them out, If they were not fib subjects for the Asylum, and for remedial treatment, if they could be made no better there, but must simply linger on till death ends all, the proper thing was to have them put in the Refuge. He moved “ That these old men be admitted to the Refuge at once.”

THE GOVERNMENT CENSURED. Mr J M. Lennox objected to Dr. MacGregor attempting to ride rough-shod over the Board. If these six - men were nob insane, they never should have been in the Asylum,'but if there was any tinge of insanity about them he objected to their being sent to the Refuge to mingle with sane old men and women. He suggested that the resolution should take this form, “ That the Board declines to accept the responsibility in regard to these men who have been turned out of the Asylum until the Asylum authorities submit to the Board such application for admission to the Refuge in order that the individuals in question may be examined by medical men regarding their mental fitness to associate with the inmates of our Refuge.” „ Mr Swales seconded this resolution. He certainly condemned the action of Dr. MacGregor. , . Mr A. Kidd proposed “That the action of the Government in attempting without notice, to thrust upon this Board a number of chronic cases from the Lunatic Asylum is uncourteoue, that the Government deserve censure for the heartless way in which this has. been done, and that, under . the circumstances, the Board decline to accept any responsibility.” The manner in which

the Asylum authorities had thrust these people on them was the reason why they should take no notice. lb was the duty of the Government to provide accommodation for these incurable cases themselves. Mr Lennox withdrew his motion in favour of that proposed by Mr Kidd, and the Chairman seconded the latter. The motion proposed by Mr Mays was not seconded, and the other resolution was carried, Mr Mays alone protesting. MR EWINGTON APPEALED TO. After the meeting of the Board had been concluded, the Secretary wrote to Mr F. G. Ewington, informing him of the decision arrived at, and requesting him, as official visitor to the Asylum, to take steps for the care of the discharged patients. In reply, Mr Ewington expressed surprise at the request, which lie described as being in keeping with the whole of these high-handed proceedings. He had not been consulted in the matter, and did not know that one or two of the men were not still lunatics within the meaning of the law. He regretted much that he could do nothing whatever to relieve them, except by joining with fellow citizens to give a trifle out of his own pocket for maintenance of the men, as the Government would nob refund one penny of any money he might expend in the matter. A PITIFUL SIGHT. THE MEN IN COURT. When the ordinary business was concluded at the Police Court this morning the six unfortunate paupers were led into Court by the police. Thenamesof the unfortunateoutcastsare : Wm. Bird (62). James Keating(43), Richard Simmonds (55), Samuel Taylor (69), William Wells (81), and Hamiora Tuakana (66). Inspector Broham said that he wished for an expression of opinion from the Bench as to what lie should do with the unfortunate old men who had been discharged from the Avondale Lunatic Asylum. The men were suffering from senile decay, and were not fit subjects for the Asylum. They had therefore been discharged. One of the men was 81 years of age, and had been a medical practitioner. He was told this was the first of a batch of forty. Captain Thomas and Mr J. Gordon were on the Bench. They suggested that the Resident Magistrate should be communicated with. Mr Broham said that the matter rested between the General Government and the Charitable Aid Board. At all events the police station was not a fit place for the men. Mr Gordon said that it was evident that these men ought not to be allowed to be on the street. Of course the General Government had supreme power, bub it was a great pity that it had taken the step that had been taken. Still, he thought that the Charitable Aid Board was bound as a matter of common humanity to take care of these men until some arrangement was made, lb was cruel indeed that any Government or body should act in such a manner.

At this stage Mr 11. S. Wardell, R.M., took his seat on the bench. Upon the position of affairs being explained Mr Wardell asked, “Is there no benevolent institution besides the Charitable Aid Board ?” Mr Broham said he believed that the Board now attended to all such matters. Mr 0. Mays was present in Court, and was asked what the Charitable Aid purposed doing in the matter. He said that the Board had just refused—with the exception of himself—to admit these men to the Refuge. HOME FOR INCURABLES WANTED. Mr Wardell said that this must have the effect of bringing before the public that a home for incurables was urgently needed. In the past the Asylum, unfortunately, had been made a receptacle for a great many similar cases. It was a fact within his own knowledge that the male portion of the Asylum was so crowded that the attendants had been compelled to make a shakedown in the corridors for some of the patients. He hoped that the members of the Charitable Aid Board would . reconsider the matter, and find it consistent with their duty to provide for these men. He could only personally and from the Bench express his gratitude to any charitable body that would care for the men for the present. THE GOOD SAMARITAN. Sergeant-Major Turton, of the Salva tion Army—who always attends the Court stepped forward and said “ I will take them for a few days. I shall be very glad to assist you any way.” Mr Wardell thanked the officer, and the old men were driven by the police in an express to the Prison Gate Home. Ser-geant-Major Turton remarked bo one of our staff, “ We can take care of them all right, though, unfortunately, we are rather short of blankets for such a number.”