THE EPIDEMIC.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16421, 15 January 1919, Page 8

THE EPIDEMIC.

THE QUESTION OF RELIEF The Hon. G. follows to Public Health, J* 8 J e s on day by M r G. the telegram sent o Hef to widows Witty. M.P.. re; P e ;,Cf r dependants of ind orphans and „y our telegram reapidemic vict "?? * „ ses arising out, of »ived re needy c* Government's mthe epidemic. in cases were tentions in regard to *£* In thfi caso announced some time h, tho jf children left orp for epidemic, these al^~f ar f me nt. Applit>v the Education P t ] ie i r behalf cations for a f sls + 0 the Hon. Mr should be made <"«"*' Im Hnnan, f'L in needy died, the widow or wi by tho circumstances, wiU be a Ho& . Health Department, throug num _ pital Boaras, on the basis or &er of children in he W'fuU inHospital Boards have cases an d 1 structions d ou _ suggest tba Board." J „nt th«; Wlo-vin| «r,S ilh Si *«£ tfinCnS monia. Widow of this wiUi two children has had f ew telong^ ings, one child boarded o , wor j._ other in receiving liom®. - rrtmost ing 70 hours a week for 22s 6cL Utmost can secure from Government herc throuch Widows' Pension Department is £18 per annum, plus I and Department has promiscd to act promptly. Many other inflitenza widows call daily on I® 010 -, tt and Labour Council (Mr E. J. Ho«ard) for assistance aD _4r-? ) T> Q nfmr. tances allowed under Widows Pension Act not adequate. Parl.ament authorised special allowance. Kindly urge Minister or Ministers responsible for delay to expedite matters. Mr W. S. Wharton, secretary of the North Canterbury Hospital and Chantable Aid Board, has received the following telegram from the Iton. G. W. Itussell, Minister of. Public Health, regarding the relief for victims of the epidemic: "I have to inform you as follows: First, the care of chddrcu left orphans through the win be undertaken by the Hon. the Minister of Education, to whom all communications regarding them should be addressed. Hospital Boards are requested to forward through the Minister of Public Health all information ui their possession regarding orphan cases in order to assist the Education Department. Second, the Health Department will deal with all cases of widows and widowers left with children through tho enidemic. The assistance of Hospital Boards in this matter isl invoked in obtaining lists of cases, ascertaining their merits and granting temporary assistance on the following lines, viz.: Widows in necessitous circumstances are to be granted 10s 6d per week for each child under the age of 16 for boys and 18 for girls, provided they are not in employment. For widowers, it is suggested that they be assisted by such sum weekly as will provide. _ female assistance in the home according to the number of the family, the sum not to exceed 2os weekiy. Each case is to bo considered on its merits. Quarterly reports are to he furnished to the Department. The Department will refund to the Board all advances made under this scheme. I look confidently the Boards and their officers to administer the proposals herein outlined generously and sympathetically. G. W. Russell. Minister of Public Health." Mr Wharton stated that the Board is already posting a list of those cases ■which had come under its notice— chiofly cases of children who had lost their parents, and the Board was also giving assistance in a few cases where it was required. CARE OF ORPHANS. One Tesult of the, recent # influenza epidemic has been to necessitate the provision of additional accommodation at St. Saviour's Orphanage. Mr H. Righton/informed a reporter yesterday that at present provision is being made for accommodating an additional 25 children at the orphanage, bringing the total accommodation up to _ about 100. It is anticipated that this will be ready by the time that the staff and the children return from recuperatine at New Brighton, about the boginning of next month. In the meantime the orphanage premises are being thoroughly cleansed in view of the facfc that practically all those in the orphanage were down with _ influenza daring the epidemic. As indicating the demands made upon the institution, Mr Righton mentioned that in one day he received applications for the admission of no fewer than seven children. i OUTBREAK IN UREWERA. The Whakatane correspondent of the Auckland ''Herald" telegraphed on Friday:—The influenza epidemic made an appearance in virulent form in the Urewera country, where it is reported ■hat there are over 100 cases. Several deaths among the natives at Mangapohatu have been recorded, among them Rua, the notorious prophet. No official information .is so far to hand. TROOPS QUARANTINED. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) PERTH, January 14. Sixteen New Zealand soldiers, mostly Maoris, have been quarantined from the mail steamer Malta, at Fremantle, suffering from influenza.