FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 25, 29 July 1939, Page 17

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS FROM THE "POST"

OUTBREAK OF TYPHOID

"The unfortunate prevalence of typhoid fever in certain parts of the

city. demands the attentioii of Vth© proper authorities, whoever they may be," remarks, "The Post" of this date fifty' years ago.: "This Vis ndt. the season of- the year when a typhoid epidemic might be expected: There/ is nothing in the atmospheric conditions to account for it, and/ yet the','.."outbreak/.can '.scarcely.'.be- .regarded as purely accidental. There must ~be '.$i cause for .it, £nd that cause should be traced and .made plaint It win /be impossible,to,apply a remedy »radopt preventive means until the cause ;.is? clearly ascertained. ■A /great/ihany; people think the poison is 'convened in the milk. -,It is smd;that there;are dairies around Wellington-in -anything but a sanitary' position»or condiiioifi, some being near the fellmongeries or slaughter, yards, and the'';cows belong- . ing; to others habitually; drinkin& foul water contaminated by drainage' from these places. ;. The capacity of mlMc-fbr conveying the typhoid infection under such circumstances/isrw'ell knbwn^ Vl7s are not quite sure as tp;/what' power, if any, local bodies may-hay.e-tovin^ spect dairies ; and their surroundings*: but if there is any legal, pbw'er-of ibspection it should at once be exercised, and a full report obtained, ; so that it the dairies . are .a/ source \jat-- ■ jieAxg^t they may be reformed'befofe',iariy^mo|e valuable lives are sacrificed to/typhoid fever., If the infection dpes/proceed from this source it ought'hot difficult', to establish, the fsct.*' // -■■;.'''_ •'.%; / ■ ' ; THORNDON ESPLAjJAJ^^ "We cannot see whyr his" Wor^iip the Mayor shouldseek to damp ■■■&<£■ I ardour of Mr. Geo, Woodwarel-in.try-ing tp render the TborndbnVEsplanade available for use for recreation purposes as tsoon as possible; It- is >tiiie the Esplanadel is not. as yet included within - the city bouhdaries, ov?under Che control 6T""the";; City /Council^: btit there is no - reason *to anticipate ■; ttiat Parliament will offer a«ty^ obstacle/ft* its being made so." ■ tJn'tfi this -is "done legally it would riotjbe.proper~fpr-tile.-" City Council itself to spend any^ of the ratepayers' funds in improyinjgi : the ground, but,the. case as'•: different .with private individuals. Mr, /Woodward has- induced a large dumber ofc citizens to give seats for. Use on ' the • espjanade. They will hot be^fixtures, and Jws cannot anticipate^ that theifact of/facilities being offered to people'to: sit dowa when visiting the, ground cquld pbssibly fee construed into any "undue- assumptiori of title* to the property! The difficulty, however, if there is-one/ can at-once be met .by his Worship asking the Government to consent to the-sea^s being placed' in position: • rSuch; a request would, we are sure,: be readily" complied with: After all -the .trouble, Mr. Woodwaud has taken in;:the. - matter, it is rather hard that he should be inconveriienced, now that the.seats.are ready, by ah interposition o? purely technical objections to their v being used.", v' :../' ■■ .. ■/ ; /.- ■ -//;,V.:-,'././i/ A DOOMJED x GO^EItI«^iNT^ * "Mr. Ballance is perfectly rigbt^ia declining to move a direct vote of ■ wani; of confidence, at the^ present time. The Government's measure■ \p?:: iniqu^jr -ji» not yet quite full. They are bringing destruction uport their; owij heads <wttl| an astpnishing rapidity, * andlif. gtvea rope enough, will very soon / hang themselves. It is, perhaps, a bit. doubt-.c ful whether a rio-confidence motipa would be carried at toe 'present'time, arid a premature attempt, if unsuccessful, wpuld tend to strengthen the/Gov* erriment's weak' pPsit&MU Every dsiy, however,; there are/defections from the Ministerial ra^ks//ahd examples of this kind are; contagious. In a week or two the Ministry will be helpless, and its happy dispatch will be an easy matter. It would be unwise tp precipi^tate action. .Things, are working steadily towards the desired end, which cannot now be far off. The country can afford to/wait patiently for the happy moment which/will Relieve it of the incubus of one of /the worst Governments it has, eyer known.* THE> ; nOCTORS /BlLtv^/-;/^//----"The Medical PractiUoners . Bill managed to get through its second reading in the Council yesterday:. by the narrow majority of two,:; but we trust still to see it strangled. If ;;itT ; does not meet its fate in ttie Upper Chamber it is pretty sure-'to do so in/the Lower one. It is not only an^entirely unheeded measure, but it would: jri all probability prove an exceedingly mischievous one in its- practical opefatfpn. There has been great lobbying in jits favour^ the result being : apparent yesterday's division. The .petitions in its favour which were presented -had been most carefully worked up, but we are convinced that the general opinion of the profession is>:adverse to the' Bill, and the public have feasptt to dread rather' than to desir«S;.its ??* sage into law." "/.-....' ■.<,.'.',' ,f / ..^<, '.<, '■" RIVAL TO MADAME TIJSSAtJD'S? "A portrait in oils of Sir William Jervois has lately been suspehdedr in the: Parliamentary Library. Attention was called to. the fact yesterday in/the House, and/ it \vas suggested itftat it was necessary to set up some standard as to the merits of pictures wtricft /were aiven/a permanent'■■b'ert^' in: the/library. There Was" danger,/ it .'was .^aid, tf /the librajy; being - turned into a vriyal::, bf Madame .Tussaud's, and as-a;, result/it might cease to be used as a place.iot recreation for members seeking rto escape the stifling atmosphere of the House."''. ';-'■.- ■■;<■■■-■;■■ \'- ~ v ■'/'".'. .'^ ; .- PARLIAMENTARY PLEASANTRIES. "Sir George Grey is. an,: adept at making a point, Spe;akirig Jon the : Kepresentative Bill, he referred to the Minister of Lands as being the best of the occupants of ■ the Ministerial benches. The statement was,received with an "outburst of applause,' partly genuine and partly ironical. Sir GeOTge paused till this was over, and, then continued—'The lion, gentleman blushes because.l consider him the best member ofthe Ministry.' Here/there svas another pause, and, then sharp and decisive came the 'words. 'But if that is so, what must the others be?" Th« House roared with laughter."