BUSINESS OF PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1929, Page 13

BUSINESS OF PARLIAMENT

MENTAL HOSPITAL SYSTEMS. INTRODUCTION OF THE VILLAS. PROGRESS OF THE DEPARTMENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington,- Last Night. Mr. W. D. Lysnar gave notice in the House of Representatives to-day of his intention to introduce the Meat Export Control Amendment Bill. The Hon, \V. B. Taverner presented the railways statement, and the Prime Minister agreed to a request by the Leader of the Opposition to give an opportunity for discussing the statement before the railways estimate is considered. The report on the mental hospitals ot the Dominion was submitted for consideration. Mr. J. A. Young inquired what progress had been made with the villa system instituted by the former Government in connection with mental patients. He trusted every facility would be given to properly classify patients having a good prospect of recovery. Mr. P. Fraser said the intentions of the mental hospital department were above reproach and it was desirable that the Finance Minister should be liberal so that greatly needed reforms could proceed. The Government’s legislation providing for elderly people in additional institutions would make for a great improvement on which the Government should be congratulated. Mr. W. D. Lysnar stressed the need for reorganising the whole system of admission to mental hospitals and stated that if the English methods were adopted it would be found there would be a considerable reduction in the number of patients. The Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, replying to the points raised, stated that no psychopathic wards had yet been opened, but negotiations were proceeding with the hospital boards in the four main centres and he hoped some progress would be made. He was satisfied they would be of great advantage in incipent mental cases. CLASSIFYING PATIENTS. a? The Minister said the task of classification of patients was being proceeded with as rapidly as possible. In regard to the villa system, he said the villas to be opened next month would relieve the Porirua Mental Hospital of 150 patients. Plans were also in progress for the erection of two additional villas. There was no doubt that rest homes for elderly people would also giye a great deal of relief to the overcrowded institutions and would provide more congenial accommodation for the class of people they were designed to serve. Mr. Stallworthy assured Mr. Lysnar that ho had closely followed the points raised by the member for Gisborne and the lines of a comparison of the two systems. “ When the annual report of the Health Department was under consideration, Mr. M. J. Savage renewed his attack on the system of hospital finance and urged that finance through the Consolidated Fund would be a more equitable method than by local rating, whereby the burden fell mainly on town dwellers. Mr. Stallworthy agreed that the matter was an important one. He was doing his. best to "evolve more equitable methods as between town and country dwellers. He pointed but, however, that New Zealand was on a sounder footing so far as hospital maintenance was concerned than Britain. New Zealand was on an assured basis whereas English hospitals were largely dependent on voluntary contributions. In fact, the maintenance of New Zealand hospitals was so assured that they probably Jost in the way of voluntary contributions for that reason. He considered the Dominion had the best hospital system in the world. The Statutes Revision Committee, reporting on the Imprisonment for Debt Limitation Amendment Bill (Mr. H. G. R. Mason), recommended that it should not be allowed to proceed. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot said the committee had been unanimous in its decision. The Local Authorities Empowering (aviation encouragement) Biff was read a third time and passed. The Hon. T. M. Wilford, in moving the second reading of the Summer Time Bill, said the only alteration from last year’s measure was that the half-hour daylight saving was made perpetual until the House repealed the legislation. He hoped that as the Bill had to come into force on Sunday week the House would permit the second reading to be taken, despite the proximity of the hour for the adjournment. Mr. A. M. Samuel rose to speak as the time for the adjournment arrived and the debate was adjourned. The House rose at 10.30 p.m. •