MENTAL HOSPITAL SITE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14906, 3 February 1912, Page 8

MENTAL HOSPITAL SITE.

BUILDING TO BE ERECTED SOME VIGOKOUS PROTESTS. PROPOSED PUBLIC MEETING. Is spite of the unanimity of protest that has been entered against the proposal; to erect a' new auxiliary lunatic asylum'at Point Chevalier, on the edge of a denselypopulated district, the Government has decided to proceed with the proposal. ', .; The announcement of the Government'*' decision was conveyed in ,a telegram received by the Mayor (Mr. ,C. J. Parr) from Sir Joseph Ward yesterday morning. The telegram was as follows :—-" I have inquired into the matter, and am advised that the new building is not to be a separate Institution, but will consist of special wards, permitting the proper classification of inmates. The building which it is intended to erect has been specially designed for the site, and would be unsuitable for any other site. The patients there accommodated will not be farm workers, but will have safe and convenient recreation grounds, adjacent to the building. For two years and,a-half it has been public property that additional wards for classification purposes would be placed on this site, and about nine months ago the Point Ghevalier Road Board gave' permission, when asked, to make a road, joining theGreat NoiUMi Road with the reserve, in order to facilitate carting for the buildings to be erected. This work was carried out by the Department, and the site was prepared- No protest was made until the tender for the buildings was just about to be" accepted. \ I understand that a site on the main Estate was pointed out by the deputation which"waited on the Hon. D. Buddo as being a preferable site to the site on the reserve. But this and other' sites were considered and rejected be- ; ' fore .the' ; reserve site was selected, and 1 am in receipt of a protest from the Mayor of Mount Albert against the use of the site pointed out by the deputation. The reason given by the Mayor of Mount Albert in support of his protest coincides with the report submitted by the ; Department. vAs to >~ interference with ; roads joining Point Chevalier with Grey Lynn and Pbnsonby, by placing buildings on the reserve, the road on the southern and south-eastern boundaries can- 1 not be interfered with. It will be at a considerable distance- from., the building, "the nearest part being the administration block, nurses'.; home, etc. Nor would there be any objection raised to roads : crossing the narrow heck on the northwest of the reserve; these are the most practicable junctions between the districts. The building will have to be proceeded with, and if, in the fulness of time, the whole institution is taken some 10 > miles or so into the country (not further, on account of nearness for visiting), then this building will be put into other use.— (Signed) J. G. Ward.".

The Mayor sent the following reply to Sir Joseph Ward:— fear that the seriousness 'of the position has .not. been realised. The proposed site is condemned by the press, local bodies, every suburban MJP., and' practically the whole community. It is on the edge of a dense population, 2£ miles from the Central Post Office,- and actually adjoins the City Council property reserved for Workers' honiaiv The site itself, notwithstanding the opinion of Departmental officers, is unsuitable for the purpose,, being -a low-lying waste, of. rock and stone, No one here/ caub%: fourid to support the' site' except the officers concerned. ; The exact location of the site was not known to us until recently, hence the delay in making the protest. I v request that acceptance of tender '[ be delayed till I can personally put before you -on Wednesday next the irrefutable arguments against the proposal. The residents also desire to express their views at a public' meeting next week. Will you kindly fix a time for Wednesday morning when I may see you in Wellington ?■— (Signed) J. C. Pabr.". ' '

Statement by the Mayor. .The Mayor, when interviewed on the subject by a Herald representative, stated that any reasonably-minded man who. inspected the site must unreservedly condemn the proposal to build a mental hospital at the very door of the city and' lio hoped that the Government would yet be persuaded that the project was a mistake. He had been urged to call a public meeting to enable citizens to give expression to their opinions. He was leaving for the South that night, and he would see , Sir Joseph Ward in Wellington on Wednesday. . He Would return to Auckland on Thursday, and if the result of that interview, was not satisfactory he would, at one* call a public meeting. In, the meantime a joint meeting of the City Council and ? the : Grey Lynn Borough Council would ;be held on Monday evening to decide upon further action.

A Orey Lynn Protest. The. Mayor of Grey Lynn (Mr. W. H. Murray) gent the following telegram to the Prune Minister yesterday afternoon :— "Your telegram to the Mayor of Auckland re proposed mental hospital read. The site adjoins our boundaries and is close to thickly-populated area. - Have very strong objection. 'Hold public meeting next week. Will appoint delegates to meet you in Wellington. Kindly delay action until then.—.(Signed) Motuuy, Mayor Grey Lynn." , Mr. M. J. Coyle, Mayor of Mount Albert, received the following telegram from Sir Joseph Ward yesterday " have to acknowledge your telegram, and assure you that the new ward will not be erected on the site of the present buildings. The Department has pointed out Ihe danger to which you refer of polluting the Mount Albert Water sunnlv -i— (Signed) J. G. Ward." ™." . !'■