STRANDED NEW ZEALANDERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 211, 31 May 1919, Page 8

STRANDED NEW ZEALANDERS

f;■ ..■ •, f ~ !. '.■;".. ! MEETING IX SYDNEY. j . '.' ."' '. . .Sydney, May 17. 1 A largely-attended meeting of stranded i- New Zealanders was presided over this I -, morning by Mr.' 10. A. Batt, who iu the I course of i^ strongly-worded address stat- (■' ■'■ ed that from information received it was i apparent to all that tho real reason of ! tho ombargo'placed'lll)oll passengers rei' turning to New Zealand was not tho ex- | ' tent of the influenza in Australia, but !. '■ the- inadequate quarantine, accommodate. iionat the various stations in New Zea- !■ 'land, This statement wa-s supported by ; a letter received by Mr. Ballingcr; from I i 1 his father in Wellington. The letter ! ■.., was, signed by tho Chief Health Officer, i , who, stated, inter alia:— . - I Pur'th6iv in view of the shortage of !■•'■'■ accommodation at quarantine sta- ;. ''tion's, aiiy steamers bringing passeni" '■■'' gers from Australia will bq at once i "placed/in quarantine 'if infectious ; - : -eases are discovered on'board'on ar- !' • '' rival. / |' . 'Further: than this, there appeared in the 1 Sydney, papers this week a cable message : ."'■''from'Wellington, sent by the Hoii. Sir. i .Russell, which stat&l that, the emi .biirgo could not be removed until the •conditions lit the quarantine stations ! .ate such as to enable a full ship's comj pany to be handled. ! • At the request of Ihe chairman, Mr.. ! H. .r. Blow, the New Zealand Governl v inent Agent in Sydnoy, addressed the. - 1 . meeting, stating that ho haH aent , the 1 following cablegram to the Minister'of V " Health.'Wellington:j ■ Wish rcpiirl. Union Company before ' t-endiug Moeraki Suva quarantined - I vessel"'-Ihree days,' also carry doctor I ■-.' ami iiiiwes. Manager reports Aloe- , j : ; rnfci reaches Suva to-morrow (to-day), . !' 'SO far no sickness, on board. In'j i view. 6iicces3 -•Moeraki ' experiment I V niitl fact thiit epidemic here greatly b .' .improvnd..respectfully suggest simi- | experiment'be. tried-Manuka for , ; ': -'-Wellington; Manager endorses pror i' , .■ "ppsnlS"?'."'' : F ■'' Mr. Blow was thanked for his efforta '.'"' on behalf of' New Zealitliders in Sydney. ' At tho same time it was decided by tho ! meeting to act independently of any- ! thj'ris ' Mr.: Blow had done. Following ' "this decision, considerable condemnation !: -was expressed of tho injustice of tho j Ne.w Zealand .Government's .action, especially m'many cases of hardship were j ;' quoted, , particularly with regard to woi men and children. ' •;,'' After'.a great .deal of discussion, dur- ;. ing which nearly the whole 113 persons j. concerned took'part, it was unanimously ! • resolved to send the following-cablegram I to the Hon. Sir James. Allen, Acting--1 Prime Minister for New Zealand:— i New Zealandere detained hero dcI. .' mand right return immediately gen- ■ I; 'orally known leason.. not i : Australia,. but, your neglect provfdo :■ •. \ necessary-quarantine accommodation. ]'■ .."' This confirmed by Hon. Russell's i- cable statement. Your action unpre-. ; cedented and intolerable. All con- ! cerned consider Government liable [• •■ ..for citizens' monetary loss, and in- , i. ' tend taking action accordingly. j . Stronglv urge that Manuka, sailing i twenty-eecond, will be allowed take i. . passengere. Urgent reply asked for. j . The ' sub-committee- was appointed to I look after the interests of those present, ; . who handed in their names and Sydney ['.;.' addresses, thus enabling a complete rei. cord to Lo kept. The following gentle- ! men wore duly elected:— \ Ohairmnn-E. A. Batt, Hotel Australia :-, Secretary—A. G.'Bellinger, Hotel Aus- | ■ . tralin. ! Treasurer—B. S. C. Brown, Hotel Ausj l . _ ■ tralia , . ! 'A' collection to defray expenses was i, tafcen, aiiiounting to M 12s. It was fiirI ther decided that the'eub-commitice have !. power to interview the New Zealand ;• Press Association, and take what other ; Rteps are necessary to carry out the ob- |. lects for which the meotiug was called :.- The main points made at the meeting were set out in a letter which was . subsequently addressed to Sir James Al- ; Jen, oy Sir. Batt, us follows:—"That the ; Minister of_ Health has not administered the regulations in an effective or enuit- ; able manner, viz: The crews of ships : I sailinc from hero to New Zealand undcr- ; >go one medical cxaminntiou only, immc- ;■ diately prior to departure, and in four darii' time, on arrival in, New Zealand, '- are allowed to land. Wu luvvo indisputable evidence of thig., Passengers, on the ■ other hand, undergo medical examination i for three eonsecutivo da?i~ before fiail- ;■ ing, and are unablo to obtain paesajre ! without, a certificate showing that they aro free from disease. This makes a ! . total of seven days from tho date of first ; inspection till arrival in New Zealand. The question wq naturally ask is: Why ! this discrimination, and what real pro- : tection are you giving the community ■■' against further infection iiom incoming ; chips? ■ ' j ' That instead of suddenly, and without j notice, stopping passenger Irallic, or in I other, words, making it impossible for : shipping companies to continue, your ! Governmest should have given reasoni able notice, thereby allowing New Zea- : landers hero thti opportunity of relurui ing. ; That the epidemic here was not of : eucli a nature as lo warrant you taking I suck drastic and precipitate action. ; That it is generally known here your : • Government has been grossly negligent ; in not providing adequate accommoda- : tion at the various quarantine stations. ! , That the cost of compensating a ship- ■'. ping company for possible delay in quar- ; '- ilntine, would have been . considerably : less than tho aggregate cost to citizen's ;• detained here indefinitely. ; That in view of the fact that llm I epidemic- in Victoria and New South ;"■ • AVale3 has practically disappeared, and '..' the Governments of both States Imvc reJ moved all restrictions, thero appears no • reason for your Government to continue ; the embargo on passengers-entering the : j,omi,Woi)r'/,«'p thgrrfpxo i mand a revision ot';-NB\V;Zenlnnds regulations,, to enable, at least, boria-fide New Zealand'citizens to be repatriated forlh- ': With.' That in the opinion of this niectms, ' jour Government is using Ihe "epidemic : in Australia" as ii means for regaining ; public 'confidence lost during the first ; «ii(?ivi of tho epidemic in New Zealand.'