LOWER HUTT AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 93, 14 January 1919, Page 8

LOWER HUTT AFFAIRS

BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING: The Mayor (Mr. E. P. Bisliwortli) presided ovßr'fue ordinary meeting of tho Lower Hutt Borough Council last evening, when there were present:— Councillors A.'Hobb's, A. West, W. Kerr, W. Cotton, S. G. Clondon, J. Brasell. W. Walton, W. G. Meldrum, and J. M'Pougall. A letter was received from the Napier Borough Council forwarding a copy of a resolution, requesting the Government to set up a Royal Commission in those boroughs-where public hospitals are situated as to how the influenza epidemic was dealt with. The Hastings Borough Council aslcpd for the endorsement of a resolution recommending to tho Government the necessity of strengthening the financial position of the Public Health Department in view of any future epidemics, and the Hawera Borough Council requested mpport for resolutions dealing with the want of proper administration of the Health Department, and urging upon the Government tho necessity for arranging that tlio administration of this Department be placed on a basis that will command the respect and the confidence of the people.

In the discussion which followed, the Mayor stated that during the epidemic be communicated with tho Minister of Health and received a ilefinito assurance ovor the telephone that local bodies would be refunded the expenditure incurred in lighting the epidemic, but this had not vet been confirmed.

Councillor Clnniloh said the Health Department- had been lacking in its duties in not warning the public as to the probability of the epidomic reaciiing New Zealand from America.

The Mayor was of opinion that whatever may be the nature of the next epidemic to visit New Zealand .. the Health Department would be found wanting becaiise it was deficient in it's, organisation. It was merely drawing a red herring across the scent in suggesting that slums liad been responsible for tho spread of the epidemic. What should have been done at the outset was to have isolated the affected areas, which .would have proved'effective, as was shown in t'lio- ease of' Australia and also by th" Coromandel district. The council decided to c;ive its support to the .resolution of: the Napier Borough Council asking for the appoint-, ment of a Eoyal Commission to inquire 'into the matter. ■ •

It was resolved to approach the Commissioner, of Police to have the local polico station connected with the .city telephone bureau so that communications may bo possible after 5 p.m.