THE LATE EPIDEMIC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 213, 3 June 1919, Page 6

THE LATE EPIDEMIC

UNDERTAKERS NOT YET PAID

INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE It will surprise many people to know that the undertakers of Wellington hnvo not yet been paid for that part of (ho work done in tho public interest during tho epidemic in November last.

"It is a scandal," said a leading undertaker to a Dominion reporter yesterday, "that our account has not vet been settled by tho Government. Tho position was this. As the epidemic became virulent and deaths frequent wo were-at our wits' end to know how to act. 'J'heru wore calls from tho police, the temporary hospitals, and tho waterside, tumbling over one another, and we hardly knew where ivo stood in the matter. \ So we communicated, with the Public Health Department, and Colonel (Dr.) Makgill told us to go along with the work, and they would fix up with as later. On that understanding we went ahead, and I tell you, we had a fearful time. No one knows tho experiences wo had and Ihe troubles wo had to contend with, working twentv hours out of tho twentyfour during tho height of the trouble. iro,u the temporary hospitals w : e had to take people only knowing their surname!), and these had to be removed almost at once on account of the danger to others at all times of the day and illgUt. "I paid men as much as 4s. 6d.'per hour to do the work, and looking back on it, I reckon they earned their money, for there wero many who would not look at such work on account of the risk of infection. After it was all over, wo went into the cost of everything very carefully, including motor hire for the ministers we had to provide almost continuously at the cemetery, so as"not to have any unnecessary delay there, and we charged the sum of £11 ss. per funeral. The account was forwarded to the >Hoalth Department. The officers, I believe, went mto the matter and approved, but the' Minister stuck it up. Afterwards it was sent on to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board for payment, with tlio recommendation that tho amount be cut down one-half. The board returned the account to the Department, and that's how matters stand. "We have long ago paid our accounts for work done for us by the sawmills, who made the coffins in wholesale quantities, and, of course, we lind to pay the men at once, so that in addition to not having had any money from tho Government. we have been standing out of a considerable amount of money. After costing everything up in connection with the funerals we dealt with, our profit would probably be about two guineas pei 1 funeral—an amount I don't think any man would begrudge us in tho circumstances—yet there lias been talk of our 'exploiting tho Government.' Wo don't care to raise this question, but. seeing that six months have elapsed since we did the work, we coneidor it high time that the Government fulfilled the contract made with us through tho officers of tho Health Department." The Hospital Board and tho Undertakers.

Seeking further information as to tho above matter, a Dominion reporter waited on Mr. F. Castle, chairman of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, who said that somo three months after tho epidemic tho Department did . send tho undertakers' accounts on to the board, chiefly with tho idea of getting , the board to ascertain those cases in which there was sufficient money, in the deceased pei-sons' estates, or, in tho alternative, relatives who might bo prepared to foot the bill. The following is a memorandum from the Department to tho board, dated February 28 last:— "Sir,—l am directed by the Hon. Minister of Public Health to inform you that after full inquiry from _ various boards ho has decided that in cases where the deceased left no estate, and there are no relatives able to pay, the Department will pay for tho burial of persons during tho epidemic at the following ss. for the funeral and hearso, including plain coffin, nameplate, and handles, and conducting the funeral. In addition, tho Department will also pay the. cemetery fees. In forwarding tho claims, therefore,' it' is nocessary that tho'account, be made out for the funeral nt tho price above stated, and the cemetery fee to bo added as extra. There may be. cases in which the undertaker did not have time to make tho necessary inquiries. which would protect him against bad debts, or refer peoplo unable to pay to the hospital boards. In such cases your board should go into the matter, and where it is satisfied that tho amount is reasonable should refer it to the Department, provided tliero is no estate and no relatives able to pay. Apart from the decision laid down in this circular, there is, of course, npthing to prevent your board from its ordinary funds rendering assistance to relatives in poor circumstances towards payment of their accounts, this 'being one of. tho legitimate functions of the-boards. If your board has any other oases of funerals outside tho lines laid down full particulars should bo submitted to tho Separtment.—(Signed) E. Killick, secretary." The day previous (February 2") ty the writing of tho foregoing letter, tho Department of Public Health forwarded the accounts of all tho local undertakers, (including tha Hutt), with lists_ of deceased jersons, into whoso affairs, individually, the board's officials wero to inquire.

The matter was referred to the Charitable Aid Committeo of the board, which, on Hay 21, furnished the following memo, to the board:—

"It appears that during tho epidemic the Mayor of Wellington instructed various undertakers that they wero to attend to interments, and that they could bo sure of payment. The circumstances of the transfer of liability from the Mayor (0 the Department of Public Health nre obscuro, uut it seems clear that the Department either promised, to pay or guaranteed that payment should 1m mado, in the cases of all undertakers' accounts where 'payment is repudiated on tho score of inability- to pay, or whero there are no relatives to whom the account can be sent.' Claims from somo nine undertaking firms were ultimately' sent in to Hie Department, representing some 2-17 burials and an aggregate sum of J52500. On February 25, 1919, tho Public Health Department wrote to' the board, advising that 1 the Minister had decided 'in cases where tho deceased left 110 estate and there are 110. relatives able to pay, tho Department will pay for tho burial at .C 5 ss. each, plus cemetery fees. As the usual cemetery fee in Wellington is las., tiie rate may be, regarded as .t'G per funeral. At the sumo time the Department handed over to the board all the claims and papers connected therewith. Tho letter made 110 reference to tho contingency of the claimant's refusing to accept the rate named. Or April S tho Charitable Aid Committee decided tliat steps should be taken to ascertain whether tho claimants wore prepared lo accept tho proposed rate, and a letter was written to each. Replies have been roceived which show that the claimants are finite unwilling to accept these terms. An examination of tho claims and conversation with one of tho claimants show that tho tusk of ascertaining tho merits of each ease on the lines of the Department's letter would bo ono which it would be impossible for the charitable aid branch to undertake in addition to its present \vo»k. Tho differenco between tho amount claimod and that fixed by the Public Health Department is between .£9OO and J&1000."

ißoard Unable to Doal With the Mattor, At Hie last meeting of the board tho Charitable Aid Committee recommended: "That, with regard to the claims of various undertakers lor tho costs of interment of certain persons -who died from influenza in tlic November epidemic, tlio settlement of which has been referred to this board by tho Public Health Department by ft letter dated February 23, Hill), the Department lie advised that as the board had no hand in the ordering of these funerals, and finds it to be pra;tically impossible to obtain proof of circumstances, it regrets its inability to deal with the mailer." < This recommendation was referred back. The matter will probably Iw referred to and disposed of at to-morrow's meeting of the Hospital Committee.