INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1925, Page 1

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

( lIV TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION

DOMINION NOTIFICATIONS. WELLINGTON. March 21

The Health Department has received the following notifications for further cases of infantile paralysis for die 24 hours ending at 9 a.in. to-day: Masterion, M a kauri. I’alnierston North. Tabaka. Thames. I’utaruro. Mokamti. Christchurch, R odditis, Kaiapoi and Monrington one each; Timaru two. WANGANUI, March 24. There were two more cases 'if infantile paralysis 10-day. one a named woman, aged 24, and I lie other a girl aged eleven. There arc now 3G cases in Ihe hospital. All are doing well, and none is regarded as serious. CHARGES DISPROVED. PALMERSTON N'., March 23. On March IBl.li, the daily papers throughout New Zealand published a press Association message to tin' effect that much public discussion had icsulled in the. disclosure that tin 1 authorities of the Roman Catholic Church at Palmer-ton had been delving the health regulations, prohibiting Cue attendance of children under Pi at .services ” : also “ lhal 131) children, obviously under that age. were in the building at one lime” ; also ‘‘that a police prosecution would follow. ’’ Documentary evidence is available to show that every material statement in the above message can he disproved. It appears that the allegations were published in a letter to the morning paper. This was the only public reference thereto.

Pother Alacmanus immediately replied, refuting the allegation and iV. further reference was made to it. He points out. that arrangements lor a special function, for children, made in January last provisionally upon ‘ln Health Department- regulations being cancelled, were officially and publicly cancelled on .March 13s (three days liefore Lite message was sent out). Notices published front the pupit. and pieserved in I In' Church not ice-hook, prove that the children were not actually attendin'' Alass and were prohibited from unending while the epidemic lasted, and that provision lor children in Die ehitrch was eliminated in February last. The statement that a police prosecution would follow has no foundation m fact. „