EPIDEMIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1849, 8 September 1913, Page 8

EPIDEMIC.

—< —t CLEANING OF THE PAS. NOTES FROM THE NORTH. . (By 'Telegraph—Press Association.) Cambridge, September 6. Tho Health Department announces that tlio smallpox outbreak in tiio Maungatautari district, where tlio epidemic was experienced in a severe' form, has now quite abated. There havo been no fresh cases for some weeks, and all the sufferers are,, convalescent.. A pass has been given ono Native in caeli pa to 'come to town to purchaso food supplies. Tho whares havo been thoroughly dis- ■ infected, and whero they wore consid- ■ ered too insanitary for habitation have been destroyed by fire. During-tho currency of tho epidemic not ono European was affected. SOME CRITICISM. T Hamilton, September 6. The "Waikato Times" publishes an interview- with the Mayor of Hamilton as a reply to tho Health Department regarding tho position of Maori pas in .'Waikato. Mr. Manning"states that all he said was true in every detail. What the Natives really regarded as a joke "Was that tho official visit should bo mado a fortnight after their wants had been attended to and after they had been allowed to suffer for somo months. Tho Department, he says, had shown aii entire lack of business aptitude, and effectively proved itself incapable of office. The shifting of responsibility on ■to the Hospital Board was ouly'an-'ex-cuse for' an easy way of- shirking duty. Had a sub-inspector been placod in each infected camp the Natives could have been restricted to tho pas, and. there would havo been none of tho present waste and extravagance and uneasiness, while the absurd proclamations issued by the thousand throughout tho country would havo been unnecessary. No doubt it was. very gratifying to the Minister and Departmental officers to regard the whole thing as a joke, but the local bodies on whom all,-the troublo had been •shouldered failed to soe any humour in the situation. Had it not been for the assistance rendered by the local bodies it would have been a caso of Cod'help the country and Heaven spare the Government. It was a disgraco and menace to tho country that the Department should have tinkered with the matter as it had instead of. adopting a strong and definite policy. Officers of the Department had rightly burned the clothes considered infected, but had neglected to supply the Natives witli anything in substitution, with tho result that as late as last week hero was an appeal for clothing which had to' be supplied by charity. • In conclusion, the Mayor would liko the Department to state who was in charge of tho Morrinsvillo Isolation Camp and why it was broken up ? SYDNEY REPORTS. EIGHTEEN CASES IN TWO DAYS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright ' (Rec. September 8, 0.20 a.m.) " Sydney, September 7. Eight fresh cases of smallpox oc-curred-on Saturday and ten to-day. BOLT FROM~QUARANTINE. Sydney, September 7. A sensation has been caused by fivo smallpox patients who escaped from •• quarantine, and spent several hours at Manly, visiting a number of shops' and hotels. They wero arrested when voluntarily returning to quarantine. The inmates of all places visited have bemt vaccinated, and other precautions taken. THE KENT~CASES. Sydney, Septentber fi. At the hearing of the charges against the two seamen of the Kent, it was declared that the rest of the crew had' been vaccinated, but had immediately worked off the.lymph. STUDENTS' WORK. (By Telegraph— Frees' Association.) • Auckland, September 7. No more ■ cases of tho prevailing epidemic had been reported np till four o clock this afternoon, and the position is apparently still improving, Tho medical students aro reported to be doing good work in tho north. One, wilio is travelling in tho affected areas, has already vaccinated six hundred' Natives. .