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patients and staff are a special feature at Sunnyside —a good cricket and football field, tennis-courts and an excellent bowling-green. In the course of my visits I have seen all these games played, and observed the interest of the spectators in the doings of the home club. In common with other mental hospitals, there are the usual indoor entertainments and recreations ; but here, through the good offices of Mr. Smail, the management of theatrical companies, picture-shows, &c, have been most generous in providing free seats for a number of patients —not the least critical and appreciative part of the audience. Many meals were inspected, and the food was never found otherwise than of good quality and in sufficient quantity. A noteworthy addition to the resources is the installation of a refrigerating plant—the cool-storage has proved a great boon. The gas-lighting of the institution is not sufficiently good, and at times has been positively dim. With the Lake Coleridge power scheme so soon expected to be practicable, no complete overhauling and replacement of the pipes, &c, was indicated, but temporary measures have been taken to improve the gas-supply. Likewise the matter of an additional boiler has been kept in abeyance, as it will probably be more economical and certainly more convenient to electrify the pumping and part of the other machinery when the power is available, and do away with the necessity for a third boiler. The health of the patients has been good, and the proportions of suicidal, dangerous, and epileptic patients were in each case below the average. lam pleased to record many spontaneous tributes indicating a degree of contentment which is commendable. Seacliff Mental Hospital I visited in January, November, and December, including in the inspection the auxiliary institutions at Waitati and the Camp. At the last-named the patients are technically on probation under the care of Mr. Boys, Attendant in Charge, and are visited by Dr. Allen, of Dunedin, at one time Assistant Medical Officer at Seacliff. The patients at the Camp were all well and expressed themselves as being contented. At Waitati, Dr. Crosby was in charge pending his transfer to Tokanui (w 7 hither he is now about to proceed). I discussed with the District Engineer a scheme for the reclamation of Orokonui Bay, and I believe that his suggestions will, at little cost, add some valuable land to the farm. I also fixed the site for a building for 50 patients, now nearly completed. This estate will provide a valuable outlet for extensions for the South Island to meet the increasing number of patients. At Waitati there is a cottage for the best-conducted epileptics, who are employed in developing the estate. I also visited the fishing-station at Puketeraki, the advantage of which to the institution is great, both from a hygienic and economic point of view. There is certainly a tendency in this country to excess of meat in the dietary, and the opportunity afforded of replacing a part by fish is better for the well-being of all concerned. It is also profitable. I went into the figures in December and ascertained that fish diets at Seacliff, since the beginning of the year, had replaced meat diebs to the value of £1,040. Fish has also been supplied from the station, fresh or smoked, to other mental hospitals —to Sunnyside, Porirua, Nelson, and Hokitika—to the value of about £500, which, if charged for, would have reduced the maintenance cost at Seacliff by nearly 12s. per patient and added slightly to the relative cost in the other institutions. This, of course, only affects the analysis comparing institutions : the item is given due value in the general cost per head. Also, about £1,000 worth of fish has been given to hospitals and charitable institutions, and relieved by so-much the burden of the tax- and rate-payer. In discussing food-values with Dr. King, he put the case for the sea-harvest very cogently. There was no sowing, no impoverishing of the land ; there was the liberating of a large quantity of landproducts for export, replacing these for home consumption by a healthy and less costly diet. Given a sufficient demand and facility for transport, fisheries would add perceptibly to the general revenue, and the large quantities of fish dealt with would allow of the by-products being utilized profitably. It will be economical to add a refrigerating plant at Seacliff, especially for the cold-storage of fish. At present for railage and cold-storage at Port Chalmers we pay nearly £300, a debit which could certainly be reduced a third had we a plant of our own. I also visited the married attendants' settlement, a co-operative scheme creditable to all concerned. The cottages are models, comfortable, airy, lying well to the sun, the type varying according to requirements, and each standing on its own section. They were erected at an incredibly low figure because let as one contract, and the house allowance granted to married men contributes to pay interest and deferred payment, making the men owners. Those who have left the service have sold their interest at a profit to the incomers. One cannot expect others to emulate Dr. King in overdrawing his bank account to advance money for the undertaking at interest less than paid by himself ; but I am convinced if married attendants at other institutions cared to co-operate on the same lines, getting money from the Advances to Settlers Department, they would find themselves better off—that is, if the frank expressions of appreciation I heard at Seacliff from attendants and their wives mean anything. For some time past there has been a shrinkage in the water-supply, and it is therefore satisfactory to know that progress is being made with the work of bringing in a new supply. During dry weather the greatest vigilance has been exercised ; the operations of the laundry had to be reduced, necessitating a large amount of washing being taken to town, a procedure both inconvenient and costly. I was glad to learn from Dr. King the opinion he has of his staff. There had been, when I was there in December some misunderstanding about attendance at lectures, and he and I interviewed a number of attendants on the matter. We pointed out that as there were only twelve lectures in the year at which attendance was obligatory (unless under special exemption) and that as about six only, under ordinary circumstances, would be delivered in what would be ordinarily the off time of half the class, the matter shrank to a question of six hours in the year; that in making this small sacrifice they were qualifying along with their fellows in Great Britain and elsewhere to enter for an examination which improved their status, and in this Dominion had the immediate effect of a rise in salary. Until such time as the number exempted by reason of having passed the examination is so large that the remainder can be spared to attend a lecture at an hour more convenient not only to themselves, but