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(g) As to employing cooks experienced, in institutional cooking. Sir Truby King : You imply that we ought to have properly trained and experienced cooks for all the institutions, and not the type of woman who has merely drifted into cookery by chance, and has had no fundamental training or understanding of essentials and first principles ? Miss d'Auvergne : Yes. Sir Truby King: Of course, you understand, and no doubt you would agree, that such advances can only be brought about gradually, and as opportunity offers, because we have very few competent professional cooks in this country. Dr. Gribben : Yes, considering the shorter hours professional cooks are working in restaurants, &c., it is difficult to get them to accept and adapt themselves to our longer hours, especially in those institutions that are more isolated. Sir Truby King : Do you agree with these remarks of Dr. Gribben and myself ? Miss d'Auvergne: Yes. Sir Truby King : That is to say, that while we are all at one concerning the desirability of systematizing and improving the kitchen equipment! and cookery in our Mental Hospitals, and getting higher-grade cooks, there are insuperable difficulties in the meantime, in most cases at least, with regard to putting this into effect. (h) Re the need of constant skilled, instruction, training, and supervision, so as to bring the dietary in Mental Hospitals, throughout the Dominion, up to a higher standard, and in order to establish and maintain better cooking facilities and means of delivering and serving meals. Sir Truby King : I understand that, judging from your own experience in the Department, you consider it would be necessary to have a skilled Dietitian going round the Mental Hospitals, and sojourning in the different institutions from time to time, as you have done yourself, so as to improve the standard and maintain it on a better and more I 'systematic footing. You think this would be worth while, or more than worth while ? Miss d'Auvergne : More than worth while. Alterations, Improvements, and Additions. Besides the foregoing matters which form part of the general policy and programme laid down in my previous reports, it must be understood that at each of the Mental Hospitals numerous mainten-ance-works and improvements have been effected throughout the year. The main undertakings have been as follows : —• Auckland. 1. The provision of a Nurses' Home to accommodate sixty nurses. Modern ideas as to the care and treatment of the insane call for more individual attention than heretofore, particularly in regard to recent and recoverable cases, and this provision will not only enable us to accommodate an increased staff, but will make for all-round health, contentment, stability, good will, esprit de corps, and efficiency. 2. It is intended to appoint an additional Medical Officer, and a cottage has been provided for him. 3. Alterations have been made to a detached building in order to provide a special Hospital Ward for Males. This has been occupied during the greater part of the year, and is in charge of a trained general nurse who was previously a sister at the Wellington Hospital. Tokanui. It has been found that the very large estate of nearly 5,000 acres at Tokanui was too extensive to be worked effectively by the patients. As the Prisons Department required additional land for the neighbouring Waikeria Reformatory, we handed over to them 3,500 acres, retaining 1,200 acres —quite sufficient for all our requirements, present and prospective. Porirua. 1. A considerable addition has been made to the water-storage reservoirs to cope with the increased accommodation. 2. The electric lighting of the recently erected detached villas had considerably overtaxed our power plant; but this difficulty has now been overcome by taking part of'our'supply from the Hutt Power Board. 3. In addition to the formation of several necessary roads upon the estate, a convenient new drive has been provided from the main highway to the new villas. 4. The purchase of new laundry machinery has eased the pressure to which this department has been subjected for a long time. Ghristchurch. 1. A villa for male working patients is approaching completion at Templeton. This villa is situated on an entirely separate Mental Hospital property of 338 acres, seven miles from the main institution. The building, which will accommodate forty-eight patients, is of a type which has been designed as a standard, combining economy of design with the maximum provision of light and fresh air. It will be essentially suitable for chronic patients needing, most of all, a healthy, congenial open-air life, and capable of more or less useful occupation. 2.'Alterations and additions to the farm buildings. 1 * 3. General painting and renovations have been carried'out, and these have been effected largely by patients, working under the direction of attendants and artisans,

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