FILLING A NEED

Hokitika Guardian, 9 August 1930, Page 6

FILLING A NEED

TEMPLETON FARM COLONY'.'" ' * ■.■•• . • ; • ■ DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT/- . .u, WELLINGTON, August 6/t>u The annual report off the mental hospitals of the Dominion was tabled- 1 ' .the'House of Representatives to-day. -r ‘‘Since the end of tlie period coverbei by this report, welcome' relief; has been afforded to Porirua by thetransfer of one hundred female patients’ to the new villas to Tokanui, and I am glad to record that approval has -bbeh given for additional buildings at Kingsseat,' Waitati, Hokitika, and Christchurch. A capital outlay o'!"£1$2,(H)0was. incurred last year upon and’alterations, but it must be- remembered that many of our kitchen's, lauiU' dries,, and other administrative units were, designed if or a much iewer nii b.er than they are now called upon io f serve, and a good deal of expentiittire has been involved in' rendering , these departments adequate for present-day needs, i 'We' have still great need for additional acCoiniitbdatioii for' pafiehts* and I regret that’’in spite of' tlie' pret sent .fiiia'i'iC'iat ■depression, I feel .bound| to ask for generous'profision.' for 1 this; purpose. ' ’ V TEMPLETON’ F/YR M COLONY.

‘(Ail important' accomplishment, ’ .has’ beeu tiie estabiisiinVent of a farm coloiii' at Templeton, near' Ciiristchufch,"Tot" children who,' while unlikely to profit from the ' courses • provided in tlie, special schools are- yet capable. of being trained to some degree .in manual work.

“In a recent report to the Government I pointed out that the. problem. >'f training the feeble-minded was very different from that involved in , thp care and treatment of persons sufferin'” from mental disordevu-and-:! •'adyoea.ted the .provision of separate institutions fop. the- jforiner -class ;,apayt fuqpiv the' existing mental,hospitals,.-, The lislunent of,/Templeton « farm ma.rks. [&, distinct advance;; in this. .direct jon. Hitherto,.. the, care of - mentally, defec-., ..ti.vet ehild.ren has .been; divided between.., the; Departnipnt,. of; JVlental Hospitals', ind the Department of,,Education, aajdthe decision; ;}s to which, should .assume guardianship has been., made bather negative point as to whether Of:■ 'not the 1 child has been , ‘bad enough ‘or the Mental Hospital.’ The result has been that the . special residentialichools- under the. Education..r Department biaye, gi-achial-ly-accumulated cases. •of- a custodial grade to the exclusion., ■of those likely to benefit by the educatitional facilities provided,- •jyhjl.e-shHHJy :children i jvliq, <»uld,e;.-|^4^. ne^^^bfe ’ ifi. least ’ partly jd.uwwr t been committed to the mental hos;;whbriT. - ; httto-of -'bib ' scheme of training has been possible. <n Templeton farm we have the means .fldpqjmtely- -jyith .those, chi;kfe •IreU, ,tmk so dffttrdi ng n chef to both VCXIOjIMODATIGN insufficient fro 10.0 .. ,’J>-“.DuriligitUc''ydU.ii : v;tlie clinic visited the ; Education*) Department’s specih® residential. . schools at Richmond and dtekaike, and as a result of hx*Mma-h ions .made.,. a number of chiidrch' weHel transferred to Templeton tliuskli’eeihg •much-needed- accommodation at tlie.se j schools for educable children. ■'.••A fe\v ] higher . grade- hoys and girls were also/ removed to Templeton from tbS -iiicntai j Hospitals. Applications on the'part ■ parents, tor- have * -their children •nitted to Templeton have been in sekcess of the accommodation yet■ >. avail"--but good progress is being made Ayi'tii tire building programme. Two \*i {las'each ifcsigiuid. tculiouse forty-eight vhiiciheViPancT 1 '" fHui;; pciHiciDrs, have ' boUn; ,uc ; ':up;.ad..iliirjng. the year, and a third; one will he completed shortly. Thdre; are forty-nine boys and twenty-four girls in residence and a numhef :; 'i>f" cases.. arc under consideration.' : ’ 'Theestabiishmctit of this farm colony has aroused /}huch.. i i,irterest amongst social •Workers arid the ..public generally- 'hint T have- had mafiy‘ reports from independent visitors who have without ex-

eeption commented favourably* tip\m the devotion and enthusiasm of ' the staff and the general brightness and happiness of the children, a state of matters which reflects great 'cieefrt 1 upon the institution officers.”