INQUIRY REFUSED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16506, 25 November 1927, Page 9

INQUIRY REFUSED

■ MENTAL HOSPITAL CONTROL. BIASSED ALLEGATIONS. • (Per Presc Association.! WELLINGTON, last night. The major portion of the afternoon was devoted by the House to a discussion of the Public Petitions A to L Committee's report on the petition of Dr. B. Mi Beattie,' formerly superintendent of the Avondale Mental Hospital, praying for an inquiry into the administration of mental hospitals. The committee's report was against the petition, and detailed the reasons at length, pointing out that there had been strained relations between the petitioner and his staff and departmental officials, also that after the petitioner's departure, the conditions at Avondale showed a marked improvement. The Minister of Health in the course of a lengthy statement, said at the committee hearing of the petition, the petitioner set out as an accuser of the department for extravagance* but was soon placed on the defensive regarding his own management alt Avondale. Mr. Young stressed the fact that the department's sole object was to havo mental hospitals conducted in a manner that would give patients the best possible chance of recovery.. Mr. Young said the genesis of the petition was the personal feeling evidenced by Dr. Beattie towards the late inspector-general, arid added that ho had received a letter from the petitioner after Sir Truby King's retirement suggesting that he would be willing to droo his request for an inquiry. The report was tabled. ~ ,