HOKITIKA MENTAL HOSPITAL

Evening Star, Issue 17731, 4 August 1921, Page 8

HOKITIKA MENTAL HOSPITAL

BISHOP JULIUS’S STRICTURES.

[Per United Press Association.]

WELLINGTON, August 4,

The Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister in Charge of Mental Hospitals, has made .a statement, based on a report by Dr Hay concerning the conditions prevailing at • Hokitika' Mental Hospital, so severely i criticised a few days ago by Bishop Julius. lu tiro course of Ills statement he says : “It is admitted that the buildings ; are old and out hi date, and that there is no ag rieultural land attached to the institution, which is a thing generally aimed at by the department. Under the circumstances the department has been considering whether it should not close the West Coast institution altogether, ami ; provide for tlia patients at the Christ- : church Mental Hospital. This it had ; not been able to do owing to negotiation® , for the purchase of more land falling through. Tho department had therefore to consider the making of better arrangements at Hokitika.’’ Such proposals were now in hand, and ho thought Bishop Juiius could not have been aware of these facts when ho gave the interview to the Press. Tho Minister quotes tho report of an official visitor to Hokitika Mental Hos- 1 pital. This visitor states that he “had always found everything in tho hospital spick* and span,” and the patients clean and well looked after, HeUspoko highly of the new superintendent, Dr Buchanan.