NEW TALBOYS HOME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26689, 7 February 1948, Page 6

NEW TALBOYS HOME

PLAN PREPARED IN 1945 FORMER MINISTER’S APPROVAL Supporting the statement he made on Thursday in reply to the remarks of the Minister of Health, Miss Howard, concerning conditions at Talboys Home, Dr D. G. McMillan, chairman of the Benevolent Committee of the Otago Hospital Board, yesterday brought to the Daily Times Office a sketch plan of a new building to house the old people at Talboys. Tne plan was drawn, he said, by the board's architects, Mason and Wales, in 1945 and approval was given it by the then Minister of Health, Mr Nordmeyer, when he met tne Benevolent Committee on Ibe site in May, 1945. When the Minister of Health so roundly condemned previous hospital boards for having done what she termed “ nothing ” to replace the antiquated and depressing buildings which house the old people at Talboys, she was obviously unaware of what had already been done, Dr McMillan •said. Yet Mr Nordmeyer had agreed to the sketch plans as far back as 1945. “The building has not been erected because of the well-known bottleneck that exists in all branches of the building and construction industry,” Dr McMillan explained. “ There have been unavoidable shortages which have affected every branch of building. Much as members of the board wished to see the erection of this fine new home for old people, they knew that other urgent building had been unavoidably held up because of shortages and so they did not dare hope that they would secure a permit for its erection now. 81 “ No one is more delighted than we are to learn of the Minister's keen interest and determination to do something for the old people and of her approval of a plan for the immediate erection of the new building,” Dr McMillan added. “As fast as detailed drawings and quantity surveys can be completed, we shall not be slow to grasp her generous and helpful offer.”