FIGHTING THE EPIDEMIC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 58, 3 December 1918, Page 7

FIGHTING THE EPIDEMIC

*} EULOGISTIC REFERENCES ! 'THE MAYOR AND MAYORESS v PRAISED . FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS [ Before the business in ordinary of the City Council was commenced yesterday /Afternoon. Councillor L. M'Kenzie, refeiTing to the notably good work ?itho .Alavor (Mr. ,T. P. Liike) and the Mayoress had done during the period of the epidemic, moved:— . . i ' That this council places on record v its high appreciation of the services rendered by the Mayor and Mayoress in the magnificent work doiic by them in combating the pestilence tha't has been , , sweeping through ' tho Do- , niinion, and also for the splendid way , iin which they organised the cam'-' .. ■ paign to combat the epidemic. Also 'to Surgeon-General Henderson and . staff for what they have done in ■ ,'.fighting tlio disease in the camps; \ also to Majors M'Cristell and .Gibbs • and the. various'district committees , for their fine self-sacrificing labours , ; ill Iho matter. ' , ' Also that this council places on re--1 cord its opinion that the Government . should tako up the matter of the care of the children who have been ■ bereaved by the epidemic- as one of I national responsibility. • |

lln moving the resolution Councillor jM'Kenzie said that one of the outstanding problems was the matter of looking 'after.-those children who had lost their ! parents, and women who had been suddenly deprived of the breadwinner, and 'ho thought that-the-council should-place' on record its opinion that the care of 1 such should be made a national respon'sibility. There were those who fuight 1 think that this was , a matter for voluntary subscriptions, but , there were those j JierJiaps who would not have the privilege .to help in thnt way, and he thought it 'should bo done in a. national manner. I.After eulogising, tho promptitude and '! ceaseless activity of the Mayor and ;Ma,vpress in ! the great work which had jlieeii' done. Councillor M'Kenzie said how greatly they all appreciated the •work.of General.Henderson and his staff, I Major Gibbs and Major .M'Cristell, .to whom the citizens of New .Zealand owed '.a. debt, of gratitude for' the.etaff 'they 1 lad made- available and for allowing medicines to be supplied to all sufferers. . Councillor Fitzgerald, in seconding the resolution, reiriarked on the amazing .Tnmlen of work which' li'ad' fallen to the' -Mayor during the past four.'years, .'.ami : just when it .seemed, at ;an end the. epi.clemic . had 'happened. It was . left to thnt visitation to galvanise citizens.to «i sense of their ' responsibilities... He complimented the' Mayor and,\ Mayoress Jnn the splendid manner in which 'they )iad' worked (luring the crisis, and,said jit was due tn them and the.enthusiastio' [citizens who had assisted them that tho epidemic was. not raging with greater virulence thp it was. at that time. It lad-shown how well tlie citizens of WelJifiglon could, rise to the occasion when' tho.doniaiid came, ..There, had. been- manifested a. conscientious desire to 'stamp out the epidemic'at all-cost??. He hoped .that' the.same, remarks -'would: not 'bo lovelled at Wellington a,s had been ,'iriade regarding Auckland,'but if they Were-the 'Mayor could be assured that he would have the support'of citizens. 1 ' ,

tConnciUqr G. Erost, as n. member of the executive, and one. 'who had worked hard through the trouble, also. congralu-: ilated iho. .Slnyor and his good .lady on the work thej, had done.'; He' also-re-fcrrod . to. the prompt and'ready assisl'ntico'given by' Major M'Cristell, of the Defence Department- '4 ■ •"'" • . Councillor; J. Q. Shorland referred to [the activities of the past three ■ weeks .as the brightest tits .of work the Mayor •had.ildne.. He. also praised the self-sacrir .ficinjf yvork of the women'of Wellington, ..who he hoped would not t be forgotten: .He taised tho point as to payment of the council's, employees'for the time they .had. lost! .'There were wage-earners he knew fit' who had. only "worked one day iii .fourteen;:and whose .t'rduble -was 1 .1i6w ' to. make ends. meet,: 'and ; he expressed the hope that the Mayor, as chairman of .the finance Committee, would ..see that .'.the tramway men and all other employees ■ were liberally treated. ' : .lir. W.' Hildreth said he did.not think 'that any Mayor of this city had. ever 'had such work, piled on his shoulders as Mr.' Luke had during,,the \ last few weeks, aiid the strenuous duties', he had teen caltld upon to till during the war must have -been of value to ■■him on '• this occasion. .1 Every ' citizen would endorse the sentiments of Couricililor M'Kenzie's motion.' .'-'• , Councillor J. Castle said.'that the .Mayor and all associated with'him had (worked with the single'eve of killing the 'epidemic which had come amongst them. 'He-endorsed Councillor Sliorland's view that, as far as possible, the council, should make good any loss sustained by their employees.. ' • 1 .'. ' Councillor E. A. Wright eaid that in the.payment of such wages a big , principle was involved, but at a time of a Ucourge like the present one the'conn'cil would be setting a Rood example by I paying the wages in full, ond he hoped the Government and private' employers ' would follow suit. Lives had been lost. I by those showing anxiety to get back to

work, fearing Hint they would lose their money. Another important.question was that of the widows and orphans, It was appalling the nuiiber of men from twenty-live lo forty-live who hud died, leaving scores of children t< be cared lor. There was, of course, tlie widow's pension, but that was very small indeed. ■In the case of a widower's children no claim/could bo niado at all. Tlint was a' defect i v. the Act. He praised the sterling work of the voluntary helpers, without' whose , aid a number, of lives ' wjmld have been lost. ' ■ Councillor M. F. Luckie added his meed of praise to the general chorus. Tho Mayor and Mayoress' had r.ot spared themselves night or day. It seemed to him Hint some scheme should be propounded At fmte to place on a proper fooling the position of the widows and children who had'suffered by the epidemic. Ho said that representations should be made to the Government, now, as Parliament was'to ri?e in a week or ten days, and if the machinery were not set in motion at once those unfortunate people would have to live till next /session, on the charity of friends., If anything were done it must be done this week. Iteferring to , the '.•orre.spondence between tha Minister of Public Health and the .Mayor.of Auckland, he said that if such charges were made equally against them it was .their duly to refute them. There were people living in Wellington in a condition in which they never- dreamed people with any self-respect would live. The council should have .wider powers to correct such conditions; at present it did nb{ possess powers controlling such matters. It: was not poverty, but a lack of a sense of cleanliness in , the home.

Councillor W. H. P. Barber said that the inadequate railway services had driven hundreds* of'people from .the country into an already crowded city. Every night, train , had' been taken, off. so that those' employed in shops, which kept: open on Friday nights had either to give up their occupation or., come, into Iho city. He endorsed the view that- all wages should be paid to employees. The pay-sheet would be no more than usual. In-this time'cif stress the men had added; expenses to meet, and it would be setting a good, example to see that those men did not suffer, through what was a national ■'disaster.

Councillor AV. H. v Bennett* remarked that the one cheering thing .was the .manifestations of the inherent good in all classes of ' the community. Help had come from where it, was least expected. He hoped that as the result of tho experience (lib conditions of this and other :w'tiH3 would be better socially and otherwise. ■ .

i Councillor ' Barber put the motion, which was unanimously carried.

The Mayor returned-thanks briefly on behalf of himself "and Mrs. Luke, find said Hint in visiting',some of the hospitals ho had met sonic of Hie trjimwhy "men,, whose first thought .was how the wife and children were getting-on, and he confessed ..that lie had pledged the council in promising them (hat the right thing would be done. (Hear, hoar N