STATEMENT BY AN OFFICIAL VISITOR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1198, 5 August 1911, Page 10

STATEMENT BY AN OFFICIAL VISITOR.

"BORDERED UPON ACTUAL SCANDAL." KOTAL COMMISSION SUGGESTED. IBy Teleeraph.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, August 4. Strong confirmation of the disclosures as to the existing conditions of affairs at tho Auckland Mental Hospital is provided by the two official visitors to the institution, Messrs. !•'. G. Ewington and J. Yk*. Stewart. . Asked if he had been aware for any length of time that the Mental Hospital was overcrowded, Mr. Ewington said ho certainly had. Moreover he had notified the Government' of tho position. It had been a source of great anxiety to Dr. Beattio (medical superintendent) and himself for a long time as they found the warrants of committal of patients increasing. "I have from time to time drawn the attention of the Government to the overcrowded stato of the institution," continued Mr. Ewington, "and when I did so a fow months ago, I used as strong language as I possibly could without a breach of necessary official civility. • I said then that the public would bo very much shocked and grieved if it knew tho extent of overcrowding that bordered upon actual scandal and danger. I gave detailed particulars of sleeping accommodation authorised and the particulars of overcrowding in each ward as nearly as I can recollect. I said I feared that something serious like an epidemic might take place unless the existing abuses were immediately rectified. The Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister in charge of Asylums, inspecled tho institution very soon afterwards, and Co do him crcdit. lio promised that something should immediately be done. Mr. Fowlds, moreover, publicly stated at one of his meetings that there was overcrowdjng. Some Hitch Occurred. "A' new temporary building for 2)0 patients was at onco designed, but somo hitch occurred for which, I understand, he was not responsible. As regards tho unhygienic conditions referred to in tho article, I have also reported upon that matter. It is not. fair to the patient's, their relatives, or to the public. Mr. Ewington went on to say that from tho first he had from time to'time drawn attention to the desirability of providing accommodation to allow of better classification. Dr. I,'cattio had improved it as much as circumstances would permit'. Questioned as to whether he had received any complaints in his official capacity of alleged cruelty to patients, Mr. Ewington replied that he had. These ho had never failed to inquire into. There had not been mftny such complaints, lmt somo time age Mr. Justice Ccoper and himself were at tho hospital for two nights until 11 p.iu. inquiring into charges. When, Dr. Beatlie was in England Mr. Lawson uud he drew the atteii. tiop of tli? Government to rather harsh

treatment of two patients. The Government teleeraplied for the latter to bo sent to Wellington next (lay, itud they were scut. 3Ur. Justice Edwards had also received complaints and had sent Mr. Ewiuglon to make a preliminary investigation. "It i? extremely difficult to sheet homo cases of cruelty,'' said Mr. Ewington. "This is one of tlio great anxieties of medical supnriiitendents and oflicial visiter?. Once an attendant refused to give sworn evidence against another, and I telegraphed to the Government for tho assistance of the Crown Solicitor, and the man then gave evidence. I think it would bo an excellent thing if a Hoyal Commission were appointed to consider the whole question of mental hospitals in the Dominion. Public confidence in tie institution will be more quickly restored by a thorough general investigadon. A Great Pity. "It is a mistake to herd different classes of patients together as is done now, and I think it is a,great pity that Dr. Hay, Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals, accepted a position on the Prison Board. He has enough to do to attend to the mental hospitals, and I think is more officially to blame than the Ministers aro for the prevailing state of things in our institution. He knew that the state of affairs existed and he was pre-eminently the man: to force, if necessary, the Government to what was required. It was perhaps only requisite for him to threaten to resign and appeal to the people, and the Government would then have dene what was proper. But I wish to say that things may not improve fast if the now Mental' Defectives Bill becomes law, because official visitors will then liavo to report to the Inspector-General instead of to the Minister, as the existing law provides. _ The official visitors might have to officially report against an inspector-general, no is a Departmental officer, and the official visitors should report not to him but the Minister." Further references to the above matter will be found in our report of the proceedings of Parliament.