MAORI DANCERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 587, 16 August 1909, Page 9

MAORI DANCERS.

„ t: ; '. From.: inc|iiiries' made ; by-a- represontativo .■. r ;of K T'HB;'D64iN.iON on. Saturday, thero .wou'd ■. .appeaa - to have ■ been some little ; laxity -with . regard to tho medifcal''Cjjam'ina'tion of the troupe' of Maori dancers who left Wellington by .the'-Manapouri soma, time ago, on routo for America,, under engagement by the New York Hippodrome, and somo of whom, it was cabled the other '-day, :wer<» stopped at Saa'Francisco on .account of alleged' eyo troubles. -..■■'•''.

.. According :to a statement supplied to our .representative-, by an authority, tlie. American ■public health regulations are very.strict. : ! n tho' earlier ; periods of American .immigration. It-was found necessary, .among other things, .. toJhiSitute restrictive-measures inordw'' w> deal: with the prcvalenco of "trachoma" (granulated eye-lids),? which J3 very contagious/being chislly spread by the indiscriminato use of taco towels. Most of tho , trouble was detected .iTrtoiig the . stcerago passengers, with whom tho regulations were . principally concerned: ..-",, -.' , These, regulations are still in force. Tlie Maori' tlnncers wero not examined in Wellington, it being expressly stated that they wore, all "passed" before , , leaving Rotorua. A further check is exorcised by tho health •authorities when passengers from the New Zealand steamers arc transferred to the mad boat at- 'i'nhiti, and in the regular cburto ti!■ ov'enti tboso of the Maori . dancorS who niiiiht hare been affected by tho malady referred.to v/niild liav'o'bcch' detainedand ent 'ionic again.. Hov/cTcr'thaf rr.ey-bo,- the foot is that the eye. troubles may not have'been ' detected until arrival of»tho Maoris at 'Saii''-.Francisco. "v\ " ■ ' .--...'.■■'• . .