THE COSTLEY HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12072, 16 September 1902, Page 6

THE COSTLEY HOME.

MRS. N KILL'S CRITICISMSDISCUSSION BY THE CHARITABLE AID BOARD. At the meeting of the Auckland Hospital and Charitable xVid Board yesterday thechairman. (Mr. J. Sriebbiiry) referred to the remarks made by Mrs. Grace Xeill, assistant inspector of hospitals, regarding the management of the Cost ley Home. He read the following comments, which have already been published in these column/;, and which were made by Mrs. Neill, in her annual report, lately presented to Parliament:—"ln the Costley Home (Auckland), on February 7, there were 137 men and 13 women. There has been a change of administration here. Mr. and Mrs. Moss, alter some years of faithful and good service as master and matron, left la-st July, and one cannot but observe a distinct failing off in the management of the home. The women's side is clean, but absolutely comfortless, notwithstanding that, 1 have mentioned this more than once to the chairman and secretary. The cleanliness on the men's side is not satisfactory, especially in regard to the lavatories. The laundry and appliances are quite inadequate to undertake satisfactorily the hospital washing, and friction between the officials of the hospital and of the home is the result. The Costley Home is managed with economy, yet, at. the same time, it is but a comfortless refuge for old age. The cost per bead for maintenance is 7s 4j.d per week."

The Chairman moved. "'That Mrs. Xeill be asked to supply the Board with full particulars as to her reasons for saying that there had been a falling off in the management of the home." He referred to the change of management in July, 1901, and said that after the late manager left, the new manager had the Lome turned inside out and thoroughly fumigated and cleaned. Since that time also the water supply had been laid on, fire appliances had been fitted up in every part of the building, the drainage had boon attended to, and the place improved in every respect. The women in the home had been made more comfortable by the purchase of some articles recommended by the lady visitors. The home was used for imbeciles, incurables, old people, and the convalescent poor from the hospital. lie thought this was too much of a mixture, and he had already suggested to Dr. MacGregor, inspector of hospitals, .that the imbeciles and incurables should not be kept there. They had a large laundry, a large vegetable garden, and a pig-rearing establishment, the laundry doing the washing for 530 people. When speaking to Dr. "MacGregor, the latter said he was well satisfied with the management of the home, but expressed the opinion that the cooking appliances were not up-to-date. He (the chairman) had replied thai an improvement in this direction was under consideration.

Mr. Gr. .T. Garland seconded the motion, and said that whilst the kitchen might not bo quite up-to-date the present management of the home was entirely satisfactory. Mr. J. Court, in supporting the motion, said it was strange, if Mrs. Neill found anything wrong when she visited the home in February last, that she. did not .it that time communicate) with the Board with a view to a, remedy instead of allowing eight months to pass by in siience. He sometimes felt inclined to question the value of these inspectors.

The Chairman said that lie did not see Mrs. Neill when she was here in February last. She called at the office, however, on the same day that she visited the home, and suggested to the secretary that some additional chairs should be procured for the home, but she did not mention any other matters. The chairs were obtained within four days frain that time, but it was an extraordinary thing that Sirs. Neill never troubled to find out whether the chairs were placed in the home, and that at the end of eight months she should send in such a report and allow the public to have it through the press a month before the Board had it. He read a communication to the Board, written by the present manager, Mr. A. E. Skyuner, on July 24, 1901, or 23 days after he had taken charge. In this letter Mr. Skyuner referred to the dirty state in which the homo had been handed over to him, and made certain suggestions for its renovation, he stating that nothing short of a thorough fumigation would cleanse the buildings. On the following day (July 25, 1901) Nurse Phillips, the head nurse at the home, also wrote drawing attention to the dirty state of the female division, and pointing out the immediate necessity for fumigation and cleaning. All these works were at once put in hand and completed long before Mrs. Neill made her last visit.

The motion was carried unanimously.