WHARF TROUBLE ENDED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 12, 28 July 1919, Page 6

WHARF TROUBLE ENDED

WATERSIDERS AND THE BRITON

NO INFLUENZA PATIENTS

HOSPITAL SUPERINTENDENT CRITICISED

On Saturday morning it wa3 demonstrated to the satisfaction of tho Wellington wnlersiders that no influenza patients lnui been brought to New Zealand by the troopship Briton. The men therefore accepted work,.and the waterfront resumed its normal 1 aspect.

On Friday, tho men were refusing work as a protest against the bething of the Briton. They held out for a removal of the Briton to the stream; alternatively, they required to be assured, by tile certificate oPiho union doctor (Dr. Faulke), that two male patients nnd one female patient who had been landed from the vessel wero free from influenza. Dr. l-'aulke went to Trentham in the afternoon to examine the male patients, and the workers handled no cargo pending tho announcement of his diagnosis.

Tho following letter from Dr. Faulke was read to a full meeting of tho union, held at 8 a.m. on Saturday:—"ln consequence of your request, I visited Trentham Military Hospital and examined Gunner — and Private —. I have no doubt that both these men have typhoid fever, although, owing to previous inoculation, possibly some of the symptoms are not exactly typical. However, I feel confident in saying definitely that both have typhoid, and that there is 110 connection whatever with tho so-called influenza of last year. Several military doctors have seen the cases to-day, and Vvery one agrees as to tho nature of the disease. 1 received every possible assistance from the P.M.O. (ilajor Kemp) and from his staff. ' "With regard to the case in the Wet lingioii Hospital, I was refused permission to see the patient by the actings)i(serinteiident, on the grounds that his own certificate to the Health Department sufficient. I -may say that I am senior honorary surgeon to the hospital, and that for the past twenty-four-years } have never known a refusal for ex-' amination of a patient when i.ecessiry."

A certificate of Dr. K. W 7 oodhouse (medical superintendent of tho Wellington Hospital), stating that the complaint of tne female patient was not influenza or any other ascertainable infectious disease, wis placed before the meeting along with the above letter from Dr. Faulke. The watersiders carried the following resolution:—"That this meeting expresses its disapproval of the action .of the medloeal superintendent of the Wellington Hospital in refusing Dr. Fau'.ke. the doctor appointed by our union, admittance to the hospital for the purpose of certifying as to whether the po.tient removed from the s.s. Briton was differing from influenza or' otherwise." It was decided to send a copy of the resolution to the chairman of the Hospital Board.