Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. GISBORNE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1882.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1174, 13 October 1882, Page 2

Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. GISBORNE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1882.

Major Atkinson’s scheme for compulsory insurance is not one that is ever likely to arrive at maturity. Arriving in the world a puny and delicate infant its chance of life is rendered smaller by the probability of its mother overlaying it; or nurse letting it fall out of her arms. The Hon. Thomas Dick, having Major Atkinson’s nursling in view we presume, by the Government Gazette of Sept. 21st, 1882, issues a copy of the directions given by the Provincial Board of Health of Ontario, Canada, concerning the measures to be adopted in preventing the spread of scarlet fever, diphtheria, smallpox, &c., which are spread by means of infectious particles going from person to person ; and can be stopped if care and systematic means are taken to distroy the disease germs, and to prevent their being carried from one person to the other. Now whether Mr Dick is trying to interfere with the business sought to be introduced by the Colonial Treasurer, or whether he is acting as “ buttoner” for the hon. gentleman, wc are unable as yet to decide, but we certainly think that Mr Dick in placing before the public the best means of avoiding death and disease, has considerably the pull of the Treasurer, who only , offers suggestions as to the best means of

getting paid for them ; for ourselves, we cer- \ tainly i refer to live healthily than to be paid j for dying; and as we believe a great many • people in this Colony are at unison with us ! In this opinion, we would recommend that i the directions issued by Mr Dick’h order ‘ from the Colonial Secretary’s office under ■ date 18th September, 1882, and appearing i in the Government Gazette as previously I quoted, should bo industriously circulated : among the community of Poverty Bay generally, and the residents in Gisborne particularly. The notice referred to sets forth at length the parte of the body which are the i breeding places of the contagious particles, i and givo off the pestilent poison to the i greatest extent; and goes on to say what the 1 general public may reasonably expect from • those afflicted with contagious diseases, their ; friends, and the Municipal authorities. And ’ here we would respectfully ask tho gentle- ' men who represent this town in the Munici- • pal Council to give their earnest attention |to this vitally important subject. For the . the past six or eight months this journal has j constantly laid before the public the urgent ' necessity for a water supply and increased : sanitary precautions. We have been denied ■ the former, while the latter has been taken little or no notice of; but we again take up our pen in solemn warning as to the possible and probable consequences of a further neglect of these vitally necessary measures. Disease, fire, and death are stubborn enemies and are easier forestalled, than beaten in a hand-to-hand engagement. There is no place in the whole of New Zealand more susceptible to all three of these enemies ; they nave visited us more than once, and they are. not far off now. As the summer draws nigh the ground begins to give out a ! miasma in the mornings, the many old i shingles on the old weather-board housas j curl up and become simply touchwood, the noisesome stenches which the cold air of winter has kept from our nostrils, rise in jubilant rebuke to annoy and fret us, Such are the circumstances under which these three bitter enemies of mankind go hand-in-hand through our midst, rejoicing when a favorable opportunity occurs for the exercise of their devilish malignity. Prevention is surely better than cure, and though we may be |told that we are exaggerating the danger in thus laying it prominently before the public, we think that we should be shirking our duty if we neglected so to do. Ven tent i occur rite morbo is a motto which has done good and loyal service in many instances, and if followed out will yet steer us clear of many miserable shoals of illness. Dilly-dallying will do us ! no good ; we want earnest endeavours to J prevent these three enemies of ours making their way to our hearths and homes. No- ' body will deny that this subject is one i fraught with weighty considerations, and deserving of much and anxious consideration at the hands of those who have the well-being of the town, especially, and the district generally, in their hands. To those gentlemen we would earnestly commend a carefully reading of the directions issued by the Hon. Mr. Dick’s order as referred to, in the hope that | the three mortal enemies whose advent we I so much dread, may be defied and set at I naught by the energetic following out of the ’ homely but trite saying “ Prevention is better than cure.”