DUNEDIN SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Evening Star, Issue 4054, 23 February 1876, Page 3

DUNEDIN SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

A special meeting of the Dunedin School Committee was held at the Secretary’s office this afternoon, when there were present Messrs i obin (in the chair), Stree', 'Strode, Sherwin, Wright, K. Ramsay, and Gee*. Be’l The meeting was convened in consequence of a letter having been received from the Town Clerk, requeuing ;he Commit e to close the schools under their control, as scar’et fever had opp aied in s n me schools not under their c intro). The follow i g pondeuce was read :

Town Clerk’s Office, Dunedin, Q _, ~ , 22ud February, 1876. n-? lE A“ 1 . vetllo honor, by the direction of the City Council, to enclose for the information of the Dunedin School Committee, a copy of a letter-from the Medical Officer of Health for the City on the subject of the present epidemic of scarlet fever. £*om this letter it will be seen that the Medical Officer fears that the spread of the fever will be materially aided by the re-assembling of the public schools. Tue Council, therefore, trusts that the committee will aid in preventing the further spreading of the fever by giving instructions forthwith for the temporary closing of the schools under its control.—l have, &c.,

J. M. Masset, a , Town Clerk. Sydney James, Esq., Secretary Dunedin School Committee. Health Office, City Council Chambers, Dunedin, February 22,1876. i To His Worship Chairman of Local Board— Yoon Wokship, —l have the honor to state that cases of scarlet fever have occurred in schools other than St. Joseph’s—two in public schools and one in a private school. The private school is closed. If the hot weather continue it were advisable to close all the schools. I should like to have a conversation with you on the matter. I consider it very importent because if, by means of suppressed cases or of children coming from neglected districts, outside too City, the fever is kept spreading, all the expense of the Board and :ooy own hard work will go for very little.—l have, &c„ J. Gillies, M.D., Medical Officer of Health.

_ Duredin, February 23,1876, Sir,—l am in receipt of yours of 22nd, enclosing letter from Dr Gillies stating that scarlet fever had occurred in Public Schools other than St. Joseph, and am reqn sted to ask the Health Officer to be good enough to mention the schools to which he alludes. I have called a special meeting to consider the matter for this afternoon at four o’clock, and shall feel obliged by a reply prior to that hour.—l am, Ac.,

_ Stdket James, Secretary Dunedin School Committee. J. M. Massey, Esq., Town Clerk.

Town Clerk’s Office, Dunedin, _. _ , , February 23,1876. Suv—!u reply to your note of this day’s date, I herewith beg to inclose memorandum from Dr. Gillies, furnishing the information asked for by you.— I have, &c..

J. M. Masset, or t, c - Town Clerk. B. James, Esq., Secretary Dunedin School Committee.

Health Office, City Council Chambers, . ~ ~ Dunedin, Feb. 23,1876. Memo, to Mr Massey, Town Clerk. One of the cases attended to is that of a Master Watson, of George street, who, until his illngag hag been attending tbe High School. There is a report also that a boy, Mitchell, attending that school, comes from a house where there ia scarlet fever. It is matter of certainty that all the cases are not reported* and consequently the fever, for tbe first time, is making its appearance in families of the better class, while previously it was confined to the poorest and to such as were not very cleanly in their habits.

J. Gillies, Medical Officer of Health. On the motion of Mr Bell, seconded by Mr Ramsay, it was unanimously resolved that The School Committee, fully sympathising with tnG Municipal Council iu their desire to extinguish the scarlet fever, do not consider that closing the schools under their control, in which no fever is reported to have been communicated, Would be productive of heuefit. They therefore consider it inadvisable to close the schools.