EPIDEMIC RELIEF

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 61, 6 December 1918, Page 7

EPIDEMIC RELIEF

AND POWERS OF LOCAL BODIES. A complaint of the.' Citizens' Committee of Christchurch against tho Health Department in 'connection with tho epidemic was- mentioned in the House- of Representatives yesterday. Mr. Ell said that ,the committee had passed' a resolution condemning; the Public Health Department for lack of sympathy and for i'niluro to reply .to .urgent requests. for 'subsidy on the amount: of voluntary contributions: to the relief .funds. He had, noticed also that the committee had commented on the filthy state of some of the: backyards in parts of .the ,city, and. the opinion had been-expressed'that the inspectors of the .Health Department should do their duty , and that there ought to."be move, inspectors. Mr. asked whether the .Minister., would toko power under the new Public: Health-Act to compel the-local bodies-to clean uptheir cities arid to fine them for failure to do it. ■ ..'.'"

The Minister'"of Public Health said' that ho had sent a long, explanatory v telegram to the Mayor y of. Christcluircii -, on tlia question of subsidy for voluntary- contributions. The.position was that, the .Government did not know how much money would be required under the head of enitleniie expenses- ami epidemic relief. Ho had indicated to the Mayor of Christchurch that the Government would" pay for the cost of sotting up and jnnintaininir emergency hospitals, but would not relieve the hospital boards and local authorities of their responsibilities under the law. In regard to the second, point raised, the rcsponsihilitv for keening, the city clean rested entirely upon, the localauthority. Whethr.r the Government should proceed against: them if they did •not do so was a hist question, and. provision for such legislation as that asked for by the honourable , member could hardly'be put. through this session..'The matter would, roceive careful'consideration!

Sir Joseph Ward, Minister of ■'Finance, Raid that the Government would make certain provision on the Supplementary Estimates' for expenditure inclined in connection- with the epidemic. In reply to several communications asking what Hie Government proposed to do, he had previously stated that until the-Govern-ment knew whnt.snms of monev would be , nopilecl it would not ho possible to say' what could he done.