HANMER BATHS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20484, 10 December 1934, Page 4

HANMER BATHS.

No Room for Complaints Says Minister. A SURPRISE VISIT. After a surpri.se visit paid to Ha timer on Saturday, the Minister of Health (the Hon J. A. Young) is of the opinion that there is no room for complaints as to the cleanliness or facilities at Hanmer, The Minister arrived at Hanmer during the morning, and left in time to catch the steamer back to Wellington. Mr Young stressed the point that the primary purpose of Hanmer was as a hospital for the treatment of nervous diseases, rheumatic complaints and for convalescents, but it was definitely not an institution for the treatment of persons suffering from mental troubles. “ The baths are kept scrupulously clean,” said the Minister, “ and when 1 inspected them, I made particular inquiries to ascertain that no special preparations had been made for my visit. As a matter of fact, it was only known the night before that I was coming, as my visit had to be arranged hurriedly on account of other engagements and the Ro3 r al tour.” Corrosive Sulphur. Mr Young pointed out that what, seemed to be dirtiness in the surroundings of the bath where black spots were in evidence was entirely due to the sulphur fumes emitted from the thermal waters. These fumes were particularly corrosive to most metals excepting lead, and nickel-plated and brass taps were particularly susceptible to the corrosive influences of the gases and became encrusted with a black sulphate that was very difficult to remove. Referring to the large swimming bath, the Minister said that the nortli wall, which was painted within the last twelve months, was perfectly clean and white, but the south wall, which was struck by the prevailing wind, was badly stained as the result of the vapours being carried on to it. Large Expenditure. Dealing with the subject of improvements to Hanmer, the Minister said that since he had been associated with the Ministry of Health, he had approved of a new women’s hospital, which had been erected at a cost of £27,000. A new nurses’ home costing £12,000 and a new water main system costing about £15,000 had also been constructed, while the new massage department cost about £6OOO. Despite this expenditure, it was not to be said, from a departmental point of view, that there was not room for improvements, more particularly in respect to male patients. Mr Young said that all three baths were in scrupulously clean condition, and the grounds were in magnificent order. They were always open to the public for use as a park, and the bowling green was available to visitors free of cost, simply on application to the doctor in charge of the hospital. ‘‘Much of the criticism against the baths is totally unwarranted,” he added. He had heard of local complaints concerning the private baths, but the position was that in the past twelve months, during which seven private baths had been available, the average use of the lot was 10.3 persons a day. so that there could be no complaint as to a shortage of private baths.