PARLIAMENT.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5. j LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Per Press Association. | Wellington, Last Night. Tho Council met at 2.30 p.m. On the motion of the Hon. Mr. Macdonald, it was ordered tint there he laid on the table copies of all contracts for advertising in connection with railway stations in the colony.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. LICENSING POLLS. A Rill amending the law relating to licensing polls was brought down by Governor's message and read a first time. One amendment is to enable a poll to be if Parliament is dissolved before the expiration of three years, the result to take ell'eet on the day on which Parliament would have j expired by effluxion of time. I ' THE ESTIMATES. |
The llou&G went into Committee of Supply. Tlie first irlasM takt-n was Oio Vublie Health D>'p;i)'li>ient, *tnl:i] vulo which nfier eoiiMtleraUe disciir-sion pii.iirod uiiiiltorcd. The Jlou.se resumed r.t 7.Sj p.m. The next class luk-n w;u Mental Hospitals ami Charitable Departments, total vote £lOti i Mr. Wilford sai<i it was rceognisocl by meilical nun that epilepsy generally occurred before an individual reached ; twenty years of ag-», though it sonic-,
times occurred in eases over fifty years of age. The Government had placed defective cases under the Education Department, and weak-minded cases under the control of mental hospitals. This differentiation might be convenient, but was certainly unscientific, and ultimately the Government would have to estab-
lish a sort of halfway house in which eases alVectiug both descriptions of disease could be placed, and he added that such establishment 3houid be under the Public Health Department, as epilepsy was curable in its early stages. He urged that the Government should take the control of epileptics, as they could not expect the mothers of families to devote practically the whole of their time to looking after an epileptic child, and the State should look after such children just as it looked after neglected children.
Mr. Fisher said that out of the small population of Chinamen in the colony, twenty-six wore in a mental asylum, which" was a matter for serious consideration. , llr Hogg said Mount Cook Asylum was a credit, the farm work or" the in stitution was excellent, and tiie situation of the asylum all that could lie desired, and the wilole work 01 institution was admirably conducted. Mr Fowlds said he was not ill a posi-
tiou to make a detinite statement with regard to Mount View, but he hoped to do so shortly. Regarding halfway! houses, he said land hid been acquired at Auckland for an institution of the kind, and any decision arrived at concerning Mount View would have an im portant bearing on the question so far as Wellington district was concerned. At Sea View, provision was made for special treatment, and the officers throughout the colony were alive to ihe needs of the times. Good work was being done in the treatment of epileptics at Richmond, and it was hoped to 'make additious to the building there this year. Xhe Government nlso hoped to bring about a system classification at all these institutions with a view to bringing about the best results. At present, a system of classification was in force at Waitati. Mr Grey urged that homes for incurables should be established in large centres, which would relieve the hospitals and allow of more cureable cases being taken in.
Mr. Fowlds, referring to homes for incurables, stated that was a matter being provided for by all progressive boards of the colony. Referring to infectious diseases, his own impression was that the law as it existed was sufcient to cause central boards to provide for infectious diseases in country districts, but the matter was being considered by the law officers, and if an amendment of the law was required, 'in amendment biil would be brought down this session.
Mr. Jennings complained that nothing had been done in the direction of erecting a hospital at Tautuaruuui, as was promised last year.
Mr. Okcy complained that the people of Xru- Plymouth had to contribute to tit" inainienano, l of sick persons from outside districts which had no local hospital hoards, lmt which wore quite able to provide for their own cases. 
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