H.—7

2

Sleeping-accommodation in Asylums.

Single Rooms.

234 patients in excess. 600 cubic feet space required by Act. 140,400 cubic feet deficient. Note.—The following sleeping-accommodation is in course of erection: Seacliff, 30 beds; Hokitika, 20 beds ; Nelson, 26 beds : total, 76 beds. When this work is completed the number of patients in excess of the Statutory requirements will be 158. OVEBCROWDING. Consideration of the foregoing figures, and of the reports of the Superintendents of the various asylums, will enable any one to see that, except Porirua, Wellington, and Auckland, all our asylums are distressingly overcrowded, and even in Auckland great difficulty is still experienced owing to the want of single rooms on the female side. Nothing like proper classification can be attempted until this defect is supplied. Plans have been prepared by which, for an expenditure of £1,000, twenty single rooms can be provided. I earnestly hope that a vote will be taken for this purpose, and that authority will be given at the earliest possible moment to proceed with the work. At Seacliff during the year we have had a terrifying experience of the evils of overcrowding. During an epidemic of septic pneumonia ten persons died, and, in the words of Dr. King, "their deaths must be attributed to the overcrowded state of the Asylum." I made most urgent representations to the Minister on the subject, with the result that a portion of an auxiliary building designed to accommodate a hundred patients is now in course of construction; but even if this can be got ready in time it will give only from thirty to forty beds. The grievous state of things at Wellington Asylum, owing to the delay in finishing the Porirua Asylum, had to be relieved at all hazards ; so after every bed in the new wing at Porirua was filled we had to transfer twenty-five females to Sunnyside, and twenty men to Hokitika, where a new dormitory is now being built. At Nelson relief is promised to the extent of twenty-six beds by means of a new dormitory which has just been contracted for, but meanwhile we lose the old cottage, which contained seventeen beds, and the rooms formerly occupied by the Superintendent gave eight beds, so that we have nine beds less than before until the new contract is completed.

Asylum. Number of Patients, April, 1898. Number of Single Booms. Number of Patients to be accommodated in Common Dormitories. Common Dormitory Accommodation : Cubic Peet. Statutory Accommodation in Common Dormitories: Number of Patients. Number of Patients in excess of Statutory Accommodation. Luckland* !hristchurch ieacliff ... lokitika ... Telson ... 'oriruat ... Vellington* 423 521 596 122 141 323 222 94 81 139 18 30 7 67 329 440 457 104 111 316 155 218,015 220,296 189,617 58,266 35,380 212,808 100,173 363 367 316 97 59 354 167 73 141 7 52 Totals 2,348 436 1,912 1,034,555 1,723 *273 • At Auckland there is apparently room for twe modated. The total num t It will be noticed t] iccommodated. The floo: jiving a larger number of is statutory doi alve more, but ir iber of patients : hat at Porirua r-space, howeve: cubic feet spac( :mitory accomn: i reality there ii in excess of the there is appare r, is not suffioie 3 for eaoh patiei iodation for thi 3 only floor-spai statutory accor intly room for jnt for more th at than the stai irty-four more p ce for five more nmodation at al! thirty-eight mo ian 316, the gri tutory requirem patients. At W than the numl II the asylums ii are patients thi reafc height of t tents. ellington there >er now accoms therefore 234. in the number he dormitories

Asylum. Number of Single Booms. Total Space: Cubic Feet. Cubic Feet for each Room. tuckland 'hristchurch... leacliff lokitika lelson 'orirua Vellington ... 94 81 139 18 30 7 67 84,499 69,651 105,886 12,301 27,116 6,168 60,663 899 860 762 684 904 880 906 Totals 436 366,284 840