STEADY IMPROVEMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 47, 20 November 1918, Page 6

STEADY IMPROVEMENT

;-:■• STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE i. DEFENCE DEPARTMENT'S AID. The Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister of : Public Health, stated in the House of 1 fiepresentativ.es yesterday that he'was ;. pleased to be able to give members an ; assurance that the work which was be!.,in» done .was steadily getting the epi- | demie in hand. Ho did not want to be ! over-optimistic, but he was able to state j that he had' received that day'" from . Auckland a telegram reporting that Dr. ■' .-Frengley, the Acting-Chief Health Officer, expected to be able to release one or two doctors in a day or two for ser- . vice in other districts. That showed 'clearly that the organisation created' in Auckland was achieving its purpose. Ho 'thought the same could ho 6aid of the I other cities of tho Dominion. , The epidemic had been severe in Wellington, and thero had been need for all :,. the organisation created by the citizens ' arid for the assistance of the military i authorities. But he thought tho worst _ had now been passed. When the crop i of serious cases arising from insanitary ; conditions and other contributing* causes i "had been dealt with, the worst phase of , the' epidemic would have passed. ; Mr. Kussell added that every possible I assistance had. been given to the Health ; Department 'by, the Minister of Defence i and the Defence Department. Every call ■ made had been cheerfully met. The dif- : r fie,ulty;,..o i f handling ..the epidemic ,ha<l ' ,',-beeh increased by tho absence on military service of many medical men and I. many of the most experisneed and highly- , trained nurses. Scores of temporary lios- ' pitals could have been equipped If the : - staff had been available. But temporary T. hospitals were a danger and not a bene-

fit -unless they were controlled by highlytrained and experienced women. The Minister added tlmt the epidemic tniylifc nut be completely beaten for u weeA or two yet. But the defensive or. giUiisation was producing the required result, One of liio things he had learncd in connection with! the epidemic wtw tho need for instruction being given in' the schools in the laws of health. Ig nornnce hnd caused a great many deaths during the epidemic, and if instruction of the kind he had in mind had beeu given in tho schools m pas.t years thai ignorance would not have prevailed. The instruction would provido a reservoir ol competent help for use on such an occasion as the present epidemic. Tho Minister paid a tribute to the work done by volunteer workers throughout New Zealand. Many of these workers had risked their own lives in order to serve the public. The members of tho medical profession also hnd earned the gratitude; of the public for their self-sac-rificing labours.

•The Minister promised to make inquiries regarding a statement made by Mr. J. V; Brown (Napier) that bedding ftcm homes where deaths had occurred was being sent to the auction rooms in Wellington.

Th« Ministot of Education (the Hon. J. A. Hnnan) said that the Education Department hnd not neglected thu snbject mentioned by the • Minister of Public Health. New Zealand hnd "been the-first country in the Empire to make domestic science a compulsory subject in the schools. No teacher could get a certificate without possessing a knowledge of elementary" hygiene and first aid.