CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5498, 1 July 1879, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE' GENERAL INSPECTOR OF LUNATIC ASYLUMS. * TO THE EDITOR. g IB) £SOO per annum, with liberal travelling expenses, is paid to Dr. Skae, as Inspector o£ Lunatic Asylums for the colony. When this appointment waa made by Mr, Vogel it was condemned as illegal and unnecessary. Parliament and the Grey Government subsequently acquiesced in the continuance of the appointment, no doubt with the view that good would result from superior supervision and akilled experience. The question now for the Government and members of the House to ascertain, after so many years, is, whether this office—not provided for in the Lunacy Act—has fulfilled the expectations of the promoters and produced satisfactory results. Anyone who has taken the trouble to make himself acquainted with the condition of the Auckland Lunatic Aeylum and its inmates, must unhesitatiagly say that there i- no improvement whatever ia fact, the administration of that institution was better in every respect some eight years ago than it is at present. _ Dr. Skae upon his arrival here was loud in his denunciation o£ the shortcomings of " that miserable place," and the public were led to expect a new state of things ; indeed, a j modernized asylum in every re*pect wac foreshadowed by the new inspector. Time, the true test- of boasted cent, has absolutely produced nothing. The new inspector does not appear to _ have attempted any reforms, nor initiated any scheme for the improvement, either in mind or body, o£ the afflicted inmates, whose condition he asserted so strongly to be deplorable. Lately, the Government, being awaro that, owing to the inability of the general inspector to visit this asylum within the time specified by the Lunacy Act—viz., three months,—they appointed » local inspector. Now, it must be patent to all that if inspection is necessary at all, to be efficient, it must be oftener than every three months ; consequently, as far as Inspection is concerned, it is most certainly done better by a resident inspector. The great argument used by the Government, who appointed Dr. Skae, was that his large experience in home lunatic asylums would enable him to devise a comprehensive scheme of management and treatment applicable to the whole colony. We must leave impartial critics to say whether anything approaching such a scheme has been even attempted. Wellington and other asylums are no better off than our own in regard to management, and from the general inspector's previous experience and qualifications as a surgeon we would have expected something new as regards treatment; but there, also, nothing has been attempted. Dr. Skae, indeed, wrote elaborate reports to go before the House, in which he speaks of- the Auckland Asylum as being sadly mismanaged, and altogether in a most deplorable condition, but winds up that same report by stating that, notwithstanding the defective state of this building, and the grose shortcomings in the management, the percentages o£ patients turned out as cured •ompared favourably with the best European lunatic asylums. So much for consistency. The holder of a sinecure quiescent is less injurious than when that person becomes obstructive. Now, the Government and our local inspector are of opinion that it is better to fill the vacant office of resident surgeon with a local man, than to trust to the importation of men of questionable qualifications. Our experience heretofore has been that the inported article in no improvement on what we are already provided with. Dr. _ Skae, perhaps coming under the category himself, thinks differently, and opposes the Government in this matter, and the question now is whom shall we trust—our own experience or Dr. Skae 1 The object in directing attention to this matter at such length is to impress members who are about to leave for Wellington with the necessity of ascertaining whether the office for which we pay such a liberal salary ie worth being continued; and if continued, whether the necessary energy and some genius could not be infnaed into it, for the benefit of the most pitiable of all our charitable institutions. —I am, &c, Auckland.