11.—31 A,

The area includes the counties of Eodney, Waitemata, Eden, Great Barrier, Manukau, and Franklin. Population and increases in the last ten-year period are shown in the following table : —

Thus it is seen that there is in this Board's district a population of 263,716, including 4,130 Maoris, and the number of persons has increased by over 49,000 in the last decade. The largest centre of population is Auckland City, which with its surrounding suburbs contains 212,159 persons. This includes the boroughs on the north side of the harbour, Devonport (population 9,771), Takapuna (7,270), Northcote (2,369), and Birkenhead (3,397). Other large suburbs are Mount Eden (18,515), Mount Albert (19,721), One Tree Hill (8,027), and Onehunga (11,082). Statistics showing the density of population reveal the fact that Eden County, in which Auckland City is situated, contains 723-6 persons to the square mile, a number more than twice as high as any other district in New Zealand. Outside the urban area the following are the main centres of population :— Warkworth .. .. 630 Pukekohe .. .. 2,536 Helensville .. .. 961 Waiuku .. .. 832 Papakura .. .. 1,793 Auckland City. Public-hospital Facilities.—Public-hospital facilities are provided by a St. Helens Hospital under the control of the Department of Health. St. Helens Hospital contains thirty-two beds and is the largest St. Helens in the Dominion, but is now inadequate to meet the increasing demands made upon it. Intended primarily for the training of midwives, as well as for the attendance of those whose means will not permit of reasonable comfort and skilled attention in their confinements, the position now is that this hospital provides practically the only public maternity hospital service for a population of over 212,000 persons. Complaints which have been made that St. Helens is situated in an unsuitable place because of the noise were found to be fully justified. It is built right on a main streetPitt Street—down which trams are running, and every variety of motor traffic passes in a constant and noisy stream almost the whole day and night. Next door is the main fire-station, and both patients and staff complain of the noise of the siren and the loss of sleep caused by the activities of the fire-engines. In addition to this, the site is very restricted, with no space to develop recreational facilities for the nurses, who lack most of the amenities provided for them in a general hospital. The Nurses' Home is located in the old wooden building which was the original hospital. Accommodation is overtaxed, and almost all the nurses have to share rooms. The kitchen is in the basement of the Nurses' Home and is a primitive, old-fashioned place, with a coal range and a very low ceiling. It is extremely hot in summer and quite unsuited to modern requirements. There is no accommodation for domestic stafi, all of the maids living out, although it might be desirable for a number to live in. They have no common-room, nor is there accommodation for them when they are ofi duty. The only provision for their clothing is in a small locker. There is no waiting-room for relatives or visitors of patients, who have to use the entrance lobby for this purpose. There is no sitting-room for patients when they are up. They may sit oil a veranda if fine, or else in the ward or nursery. There is no room for the medical students, who have to write their case notes, &c., in the medical stafi room, size 8 ft. by 8 ft., which is used by the three Medical Officers on the stafi as well. The lecture-room is a glassed-in veranda and quite inadequate for the purpose. _ There are only four single-bed wards, and more are required as waiting wards for patients in labour and also for special cases such as pre-eclamptics, or those suspected of sepsis, &c. As with the other St. Helens Hospitals, the hospital is a " closed " one. There is a part-time Medical Superintendent and two assistants.

10

County. European. Maori. Population. Increase. Per Cent. Rodney .. .. .. .. 5,391. 242 5,633 31-67 Waitemata .. .. .. .. 42,652 449 43,101 18-12 Eden .. .. .. .. 173,941 1,517 175,458 8-92 Great Barrier .. .. .. .. 335 119 454 24-04 Manukau .. .. .. .. 20,791 498 21,289 27-30 Franklin .. .. .. .. 16,576 1,205 17,781 19-41 Totals .. .. .. 259,586 4,130 263,716 21-40