B.—4a.

VOTE—MENTAL HOSPITALS DEPARTMENT. 585. The expenditure of this Department, excluding capital expenditure, for 1914—15 and 1930-31 is shown hereunder :—

586. The expenditure has increased by approximately 140 per centum since 1914-15, but the mental hospitals population has also increased materially in the intervening period. 587. The numerical strength of the staff in 1914-15 was 658, and in 1930-31 it was 1,325. 588. While the above figures show a large increase in the cost to the Dominion since 1914-15, other factors must be taken into consideration to arrive at a true comparison. The. increase in the number of inmates has contributed very largely to the progressive increase in cost. To show how the problem of the mentally defective has become accentuated over a long period of years it would be as well to quote some statistics. The annual reports of the Department go back to 1876, in which year there were 783 patients in the mental hospitals of the Dominion, or a ratio of approximately 1 : 383 of population. During the intervening years there has been a steadily progressive increase in the number under the care of the Department, as is shown in the following quinquennial table :— Average Annual Average Annual Years. Increase. Years. Increase. 1876-80 .. .. ..79 1906-10 .. .. ..11l 1881-85 ~ 79 1911-15 11l 1886-90 .. .. ..57 1916-20 .. .. ..122 1891-95 .. .. ..83 1921-25 .. .. ..113 1896-1900 .. .. ..91 1926-30 .. .. ..239 1901-5 .. .. .. 90 589. The ratio of registered mental patients and voluntary boarders to the estimated general population (exclusive of Maoris) may be gathered approximately from the following table showing the position every fifth year over a period of forty years : —

590. The figures for the 1931 quinquennium convey rather a wrong impression, as the disproportionate increase in the ratio is largely due to alteration in the system rather than a definite increase in the number requiring admission. This discrepancy is due to the operation of the Mental Defectives Amendment Act, 1928, under which the Department is now responsible for the care and training of many feeble-minded children who would in prior years have been under the charge of the Education Department.

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1914-13. 1930-31. — - _ . Salaries. Other Charges. Total. Salaries. Other Charges. | Total. | £ £ £ £ £ £ 70,278 100,532 170,810 272,007 j 203,647 475,654 Less credits-in-aid .. 44,828 Less credits-in-aid .. 172,195 £125,982 £303,459

Number of Patients Estimated Population Ratio of Registered and Voluntary of New Zealand Inmates of Mental Boarders on Register. (exclusive of Maoris). 16 ™ 1891 .. .. .. .. 1,849 626,658 1 : 339 1896.. .. . .. 2,315 703,360 1:304 1901.. .. .. .. 2,773 772,719 1:279 1906.. .. .. .. 3,206 888,578 1:277 1911* .. .. .. 3,756 1,008,468 1:268 1916.. .. .. .. 4,400 1,099,449 1:250 1921.. .. .. .. 4,970 1,218,913 1:245 1926.. .. .. .. 5,637 1,344,469 1:239 1931.. .. .. •• 6,922 1,452,747 1:210 * System of voluntary admission instituted.