H.—7

2

Discharges. The total number removed by discharge and death was 447 : males, 241; females, 206; as against a total of 388 for the year before. The percentage of recoveries on admissions during the year was 41-03, as against 41-30 the year before. It is evident that, owing to the accumulation of congenitally deficient and senile persons, our discharges and deaths are made to appear much more unfavourable than they really are. Deaths. The percentage of deaths on the average number resident during the year was 4-82. The percentage in New South Wales for 1894 was 5-77. In Victoria it was 8-31. Accidents. Beyond the inevitable scratches and contusions, of which a careful record has been kept, there have been only two cases calling for remark during the year. At Seacliff a man's bowels were ruptured by a tree falling on him, and another had his skull fractured by falling from the hall window. This latter accident was due to defective locks, which were worn out, but have now been renewed throughout the whole asylum, at a cost of £400. I had made many representations about the necessity for getting new locks before I succeeded. New Buildings and Impeovements, Last year I reported regarding Porirua Asylum : "As soon as the central block is finished, every bed will be occupied, and still all the other asylums are complaining of overcrowding. It is necessary that steps should be taken without delay to complete the building, by adding the two large wings, so as to accommodate the five hundred patients for which it was planned. Judging by the rate of building progress in the past, and the rapid increase of patients whom we find it impossible, to discharge—having no place to send them to—the pressure on our space will be terrible before we can be ready to relieve it. The greatest difficulty is experienced on the male side of the Auckland Asylum, and I recommend that a sum of £3,000 be voted to extend the number of single rooms, and provide suitable day rooms." This was the position last year. Nothing has been done since either to complete Porirua Asylum or to extend Auckland Asylum. Besides all this, our difficulties have been multiplied by the total destruction by fire of the Auckland Auxiliary Asylum, which had provided admirable accommodation for over a hundred patients. I refrain from dwelling upon the constant worry and anxiety under heavy and unremitting responsibility to the public which the inaction of the Government and of Parliament has cast upon myself and the other officers of the department. My own health has been shaken for the first time in my life. Two of the best Medical Superintendents, Drs. Levinge and King, are broken in health and spirits to such an extent that they had to get a holiday, leaving me with a crippled staff to cope with such difficulties as, I firmly believe, never had to be faced by a public officer in this colony. At Wellington a new dormitory, containing 21 beds, has been provided, and ten single rooms are in course of construction. The Porirua farm-buildings have been at length completed, and the new airing-courts have been completed. The bricks put into the main Asylum building are so bad that a large annual expenditure will be required to keep it in repair. The plumbing work and the heating and lighting apparatus have been so well done under the superintendence of Messrs. Newman, of Seacliff, and Anderson, Engineer, of Porirua, that I do not believe the work can be equalled in the colony. Financial Eesults of the Yeae. The total gross expenditure for the year was £58,700 16s. 3d. as compared with £55,351 ss. lid. last year — i.e., an increase of £3,349 10s. 4d. Of all the asylums, Seacliff has been for several years by far the most expensive. I have made certain changes there which will, I hope, have the effect of remedying this. Mr. Wood, formerly of Porirua, with an assistant of his own choosing, has been put in charge of the stores department, and instructions of the most stringent character have been given to exercise the most careful economy. One of the chief causes of increased expenditure at Seacliff has been the fact that all the land was dense bush originally, and to clear it has entailed great expense. In addition to this, the last two seasons have been disastrous, from long-continued drought and almost total failure of the crops. As usual, Dr. Levinge, of Sunnyside, thanks to his wonderful administrative ability, largely supplemented by a good farm, shows the best financial results, as the following list demonstrates : — Cost per Head per Annum. £ s. d. Christchurch ... ... ... ... ... ... 18 2 OJ Nelson ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19 12 If Auckland ... ... ... ... ~.' ... ... 22 4 6£ Wellington ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22 6 10 Porirua ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 24 11 6f Seacliff ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25 10 2$ Hokitika ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26 0 2 On account of the general rise in price of important articles of food, notably meat, butter, and flour, there was an increase in the expenditure on rations at Seacliff alone of over £800. Besides