THE STRANDED EXILES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 238, 2 July 1919, Page 8

THE STRANDED EXILES

MANUKA AND MOERAKI

POSSIBILITIES OF RETURN

: The Government has not yet been able to arrange anything definite for tho re- •" turn'of the stranded Now Zealanders still •delayed.;in Sydney. First of all these unfortunate people were not allowed to "' return to 'their country owing to the ■ danger threatening this country by the importation into this country of fresh infections of influenza. The danger was : : intensified by the lack of suitable quarantine accommodation into which large . numbers. of contacts or suffering people '•/could', bo put, and before the Government - authorities' could arrange to have the : ' quarantine stations made fit for use by large bodies of people, the strike occurred .. on .the Australian coast. The risk of ."'infection from Australia is rather worse now than it ever has been, but we hove, serviceable quarantine stations, and ia .:. any .case it is considered that the timo has. arrived when in. the interests of our unfortunate fellow-countrymen, some risk . must .be taken by the people of this country. The Government is now prepared to do anything within its power to get these people back to New Zealand.' >

The Manuka should arrive in Sydney to-day, and as she .las a New Zealand crew; it is honed that, the crbw.ivill stay on the ship tor the return voyage and bring , the exiles home. The Moeraki is also in Sydnoy, but for tho present the crow will not sign on for another voyage because of.the strike in Australia. Sir

/.. James Allen has telegraphed ! to' the Government Agent'in'Sydney conveying ; to. him a message to the Seamen's Union, appealing, in. the interests of the strand- | - ed New Zealanders, for. the removal of | all obstacles to tho manning of the Mou- . raki. -A similar message fibs been sent ; ;by'the Minister of Public Health,(the Hon. G. W.' Russell). Decision 1 as, to the number of pasJenj gers that may bo brought back by any : one. ship rests with the Department of r Public Health, and the Minister in charge (Mr. Russell). Tho decision at >, present is that provided both 'the £ Manuka and the Moeraki can be got j away from Sydney, each 1 ship i _ will be allowed to bring ,100 passengers. ■ This should be about • • all the 6tranded passengers. If there ; . • should still be difficulties about the ."Moeraki,- and the Manuka can be got v away, the scheme is to allow the Manuka I to take on, board a full complement of . passengers. If on arrival here it should 'do necessary to quarantine the ship,'some •"■-.-of her passengers may be taken to Auck- ; ' land, and some to Wellington. If i both vessels come acro=3 the Manuka will come i . to Wellington and the Moeraki to Auckj land. ! No announcement is made yet as to \ --what the Government may do "if neither I ehip can be manned for the return voyage. ■ - I' T. 'A statement on the precautions and [..'• the reasons for them was made by the •' Hon. G. W. Russell yesterday. "Not- ■ withstanding the severity of the epidemic in Australia," said Mr., Russell, '".the Government feels that the time has .come when some risk must be taken to enable our fellow-countrymen to return. Sphere are iow two New Zealand doctors in "Sydney—Dr. Davis with the Moeraki and Dr. Russell with the Manuka. Their ■' responsibility is to see that all necessary.. . tests are made of the passengers .and crew for. three days before embarkation. The worst trouble, however, arises with the crew. It is simply., impossible to .'. apply to crews.of ships the same precautions as can be applied. to passengers, and therein lies the danger of the situa- •: tio'n." The danger will continue so long as the epidemic in a'virulent form conin Sydney. . Frequently members of the crew are taken on board almost at the last moment, and as they may have come from infected places there is risk of. sickness breaking out on the ship." Sit-Jam'es Allen made some further ".references to the statements telegraphed ■ through''the Press "Association to the '■ effect that some of the New Zealanders • 'are destitute, that women are pawning '.- their rings, and', so on. The Minister (■aid that he had telegraphed to the Government Agent in Sydney' resarding this matter, and bis reply was to the effect ;■ that, .up to date >£266 has been sufficient ?■ to relieve all .the cases of distress in {, respect, of-which'application .for relief C,,i.,lws..been,made' to him, with the excepi:,, tion, of a few cases of people who were )'■ not 1 eligible because_they bad lived in t; Australia ; for some years. .'The: Govem- ." ment Agent admits that there may be .some people'in need of assistance who ~. r bave .refrained for reasons of their own from asking for assistance, but he' has -promised the Stranded New Zealanders' . Committee to assist any Cases they may •■bring to him. In his/ message'he adds •-- -.that he has 6till «£IOO of the monev sent •« to,him by the Minister of Public Health. ~. Sir. James Allen sxiid that if more money V; ; should be required he was quite sure tlir.'t -- ,the Minister of Public Health would be ....prepared, to send more.