H.—7

Additions, Alterations, and Improvements. Capital expenditure incurred upon new buildings, additions, and improvements during the year amounted to £102,457 13s. 7d., and the following summary shows the major items making up the total: — Auckland (£5,657). Considerable additions were made to the Nurses' Home to provide for the increased staff necessitated by the shortened hours. Cold-storage accommodation, which is very necessary in this climate, was installed. The laundry equipment was brought up to date. Kingseat (£52,144). The butchery, bakery, boiler-house, and laundry were completed, and the equipment will be installed very soon. The central hospital block is nearing completion, after which Kingseat will be able to take direct admissions. Four new villas have been erected and occupied, and another one is about to be commenced. The Medical Superintendent's residence and that of the Engineer are well under way, and the preliminary drawings for the Nurses' Home and workshops are being done. Tokanui (£2,855). A considerable amount of minor alterations to sanitary annexes was involved in the change over of the male side to the female, and vice versa, but the change has been of great advantage. The addition of a large veranda to a ward on the female side has provided a good admission block. A cottage has been provided for an Assistant Medical Officer. A new mortuary has been erected. Porirua (£20,501). There are many problems to solve at Porirua, and these are mainly dependent upon each other. A considerable step was achieved towards their solution by the completion of the new store, and a further stage will be reached when the boiler-house and workshops block, now being erected, are completed. Nelson and Ngawhatu (£2,234.) The roads leading to the villas at Yorks Valley and the main road have all been tar-sealed. Considerable improvements have been made to the water-supply available for fire-fighting purposes. A commencement has been made with the new Nurses' Home at Ngawhatu, and drawings are in hand for three new villas. Hokitika (£2,096). Major alterations have been made at Aorangi Villa, and repairs carried out in connection with the damage from a fire at Kiwi Ward. New piggeries have been erected. Ghristchurch (£6,061). Extensive additions have been carried out in connection with the fire-alarm system. Additional conveniences have been installed in the sanitary annexes. The main drives have been tar-sealed, and new poultry-house provided. Templeton Farm Colony (£10,335). The new laundry and boiler-house have been erected, and will be equipped as soon as the machinery comes to hand. Seacliff (£570). Milking-machines were installed at the byres. A kitchenette was erected at D Ward. The old chimney-stack and several portions of old buildings were demolished. Programme for Current Year. Auckland.—Our experience of decentralized cooking at the villa mental hospitals has been so favourable that we have decided to follow so far as possible the same principle at the older institutions. To this end we are constructing kitchens in female wards 7 and 2 and in male 3 ward. Female ward 7, with very little additional alteration, will form a very excellent admission ward. Kingseat.—The erection of the Nurses' Home will be commenced during the year, and its completion will help to free a number of rooms in the villas for occupation by patients. The hospital admission villa is nearing completion. Plans are being prepared for another villa. It is intended as soon as possible to erect two single-storied villas for aged and infirm patients. Porirua. —The new store is in occupation, and the boiler-house - workshop block is approaching completion. The next stage in the large programme at Porirua will be the rebuilding of the front block at the institution to provide adequate visiting-rooms, administrative offices, and possibly staff dining-rooms.

2