OTAHUHU.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 425, 12 November 1918, Page 3

OTAHUHU.

THE INFLUENZA. EPIDEMIC!. The influenza epidemic, which has bean raging in the city for the past few * eeks, has now obtained a fairly good grip in Oiabuhu. There is scarcely a homo which is not affected and reports from the two resident doctors go to show that the cases are rapidly increasing. It is, however, comforting to know that with the exception of one or two cases there is no need for serious alarm. With a view to combating 8 the spread of the dif ease and rendering all possible help to those affected a public meeting of citizens was held last Thursday in the Public Hall. Those responsible for the meeting were the executive of the newly- i formed local branch of the Labour s Party, who had waited upon the 1 Patriotic Committee a few nights i previously urging the advisability of u forces being joined to secure united t action as was beicg done in Auck- t land. On behalf of the Patriotic r Committee the Mayor agreed that c the move was in the right direction a and he convened the public meeting o that eventuated last Thursday when r there was a representative gathering b of citizens. All present signified p their willingness to help in any 1 capacity. The Town Clerk sub- a mitted a plan of the borough marked a off in various blocks and the work of e attending to those affected was 1 allocated to the respective members g of the committee living in the blocks o where cases of sickness were known. I Arrangements were also made C whereby a supply of medicine could \ be obtained from persons in different a parts of the district, and also from t the offices of the Borough Council. Dr Rowley, who attended the meet- L ing, gave an interesting address, I intimating that the complaint was li similar to the visitation of about 30 years ago and urged people to go i straight to bed when feeling the first a symptoms Ho disagreed with the rumour that the epidemic was a a plague or fev6r. Dr McDonald, who u was unavoidably absent, submitted a J written report which coincided wirh s the remarks ol Dr Rowley. I In numerous instances the heads t *<of f.-.milies are stncken with the d epidemic, acd, consequently, cooking 5 mea's is out of the question With w a view to providing soup for sufft rers v and children, a soup kitchen has A been opened at the Parish Hall. c A pathetic occurrence took place a duri g the week-end. Mr J. J J Broi ks, who was a resident of Huia 1 road, and who had ventured out, a thin iug he had recovered from in- I fluet zi,h id a relapse, and was taken t on Saturday to the Auckland hos- i pital Mrs Brooks, who was also C suffering from the complaint, died i: at her lu me on Sunday, whilst Mr p Brocks passed away at the hospital g yesterday morning. They are survived by a family of four young I childten, ;wo of whom are suffering t from the epidemic. The double 1 funeral took place yesterday. t Mrs Gavin Wallace, wife of Mr t Gavin Wallace, also passed away on { Sunday The dtceased lady was 77 I years of tge. i Owing to the ii tluenza epidemic, ' the annual prize-giving meeting of ' the M« thodist Sunday School, which f was to have bten held last Thursday, 1 has been postjoned indefinitely. 1