EPIDEMIC WORK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 97, 18 January 1919, Page 8

EPIDEMIC WORK

RELIEF COMMITTEE'S LABOURS

STATEMENT BY THE MAYOR The final meeting of the members of the Mayor's Epidemic Relief Committeo was, held this morning iu the Mayor's room, Town Hall. There were present: The -Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), Mr. 11. Davidson, the Rev. RobertsonOrr, Messrs. Herbert Ross, T. Forsyth, C. Bary, and E. A. Israel (secretary). The I'ollowiiig statement of finance was presented:— £ s. d. Donations 2356 16 8 Receipts for supplies from Town Hall ' 391.10 4 Total £2745. 7 0 Expenditure on general relief 1558 8 3 Leaving'the sum of. £1189 18 9 The eonimitee decided to deposit £900 with the Public Trustee for the relief of deserving widows, to be paid on a monthly scale.' This fund will •he administered by the Public Trustee free of charge. The balance of £289 18s. 9d., together with a donation and repayment received yesterday of £70,' making in all £359 18s. 9d., is available, to meet liabilities authorised for weekly payments for needy recipients and general claims. The final payments are cxpected to soon terminate. The following has been submitted by the Mayor as a general statement, as to tlie work in connection witli the members of the committee' during the reeont weeks:—

"On tho abatement of the virulent epidemic of influenza one of the most important matters demanding immediate attention was the question of how the expenditure incurred by the several district committees in the city and suburbs, in their efforts to ooinbat the disease, was to he met,' and the'multifarious accounts for services rendered and necessaries purchased wero to be collated and verified. With the object oF-arriving-at a systematic method of treatment the Mayor (Mr. J. T\ Luke) invited the Vigilance Committee of each district to select a representative to form one of a Finance Committee to co-operato with him and deal comprehensively' with.'' the pecuniary aspoct of the* deadly visitation. At the first meeting of this committee it was, however, found that the number of its members precluded the possibility of effective actiou in the desired direction, and it was decided that Messrs. H. Davidson and Herbert Ross, representing Wellington South and Wellington North districts : respectively, should be appointed a sub-commit-teo, with fijll powers to act, and to enter into arrangements with the Department of Public Health for tho expeditions settlement of all legitimate and verified claims for services rendered and commodities supplied, and to. report to the main Finance Committr' when their labours had finished. A meeting of the latter committee was held this morning, the Mayor presiding, when Messrs. Davidson and Ross reported that the duties allotted to them had occupied their full working time for a montli, during which they had examined and (after, in many cases, substantial reduction) had paid, accounts amounting to £6922 12s. 6d. The task undertaken had proved to be, in the exceptional circumstances, a particularly arduous one, but it was satisfactory to know that the result of the. efforts put forth had been of real advantage to tlioso most immediately concerned in enabling them to obtain payment of their several claims in a reasonable timo and with a minimum of inconvenience. The sub-committec oxpressed its appreciation of 'the assistance afforded to it in its labours by the officers of the Department of Public Health, after tho preliminary negotiations, ill the prompt provision of the funds required for its operations, and in' the. . dispensing, as far as possible, with non-essential formalities, also its indebtedness 1 to the Government, audit officer for cordial cooperation in-expediting the settlement of accounts. The sum .mentioned above does not include liabilities for medical services, burials, advertising, wages paid by the City Corporation in connection with ambulances, or services and supplies provided by Government Departments, the accounts for which are being dealt with directly 'by the Department of Public Health. Nor does it embrace any disbursements for relief of distress arising from the epidemic, all of which have been mado from a distinct fund administered by a separate committee, of which the Mayor and Messrs. T. Forsyth, Herbert Ross,: H. Davidson, and C. Bary are the active members, and Mr. B. A. Israel the secretary." The Mayor expresses his isincere thanks to ail members of the committee for their valuable services. The work of' settling the accounts had been very considerable, and citizens should feel very grateful for the public spirit and tho devotion of all workers during the timo of the epidemic and also those who had been associated with him in carrying out the final obligation in regard to a very difficult' matter of determining the relief and also discharging tlis financial assistance;