The Influenza Epidemic.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 December 1918, Page 4

The Influenza Epidemic.

AT AUCKLAND. GENERAL IMPROVEMENT. I There continues to be a steady im- { provement in regard to the epidemic at Auckland, and the number of patients is rapidly decreasing. Ten fresh cases were acquitted to the Hospital on Saturday and three yesterday, making a total of 65 in the institution at present. So great is the improvement generally that it is anticipated that most of the temporary hospials will be closed this week. At the convalescent home at Ellerslie the patients are all making satisfactory progress , The Mayor, after a conference with Mr. W. Wallace, chairman of the Hospital Board, states that if the' position continues to improve at the present rate, we should be in a position to declare Auckland a “clean” city at a very early date. In the country districts, too, the position is reported to be easing everywhere, and very few calls are now being received for assistance by the Health Department. THE ISLAND OUTBREAK. .. HUNDREDS OF DEATHS. IN FRIENDLY ISLANDS. SUVA (Fiji), Dec 9. Influenza in Suva is abating, but is increasing in virulence in the country. There has been heavy mortality, including 15 European deaths. From Friendly Islands it is reported that several hundred deaths have occurred, including the Dowager Queen Takibo, Mrs J. B. WatEmj Miss Jennie Mathews, Rev. Fathers Reiter, and Kervegan, Elder Lasher, Mrs. Charles Percival, and Mr. Carl Riechelman. The epidemic is abating at "Nukualofa, but is still prevalent in the country. There is urgent need of doctors and nurses in Fiji. ROYAL COMMISSION. TO INQUIRE INTO EPIDEMIC. THE NIAGARA’S ARRIVAL. WELLNGTON, Dec 9. The Premier announced to-day that j the Government had decided to apj point a Royal Commission to inquire | into the circumstances connected with j the epidemic, although he was not I yet able to state the personnel. He ! added that the inquiry' would be as exhaustive as possible, as the matter would be of great and urgent importance, and the Government wanted the public to have the whole information to be obtained regarding precautions against future outbreaks, and | also all matters connected with the | arrival of the Niagara and Makura ia j New Zealand in relation to the epi- | demic, and into the administration of the Public Health Department and its relations to the local authorities in different parts of the Dominion. The Hon. G. V/. Russell said he had asked the Government to set up a Royal Commission to make a thor- ! ough inquiry into the position. He had J nothing to hide, and invited the most | open criticism regarding everything j that had been done. | AT NEW PLYMOUTH. I NEW PLYMOUTH, this day. ; Nurse Wait, who volunteered her assistance at Auckland Hospital recently and returned home last Tuesday, died at the local hospital this morning under distressing circum- 1 stances She returned apparently in good health, but developed a seemingly slight attack of influenza. Yesterdav her condition was regarded as : a'.isfactory, but in the evening virulent symptoms hitherto unobserved in any local case appeared, speedily ending fatally. News of the Maori cases in Punifio district is unsatisfactory. THE .MAKURA. • I RELEASE OF PASSENGERS. | I A BACK DOOR GET-AWAY. The detention of the steamer Maknra at Auckland for some ten day?, which has been rendered necessary owing to quarantining, has been exercising the minds of the public men of the Queen City. One incident after another has occurred, followed by vig-i orous protests by Messrs. Gunson and Burns, until Dr. "‘(Colonel) Valentin.*, the Chief Health Officer, went to Auck land, and cut the Gordian knot. He quickly sent the steimer about her business, and she left for Australia on Sunday. He then released certain of the passengers from quarantine and it is connection with the latter that a touch of comic opera was introduced, 1 which will be enjoyed by everybody ■ outside the northern city. Some of 1 the southern passengers were informed that it was proposed to disembark at St. Holier V Bay, (a seaside resort),

whence they would be taken by motor cars to Ponrose Junction (about six miles from the city) in order to catch the Main Trunk express. It w r as suggested that the Auckland passengers should also disembark at St. Helicr’s Bay, and conic to Auckland by motor oars. This method of entering the city had boon decided upon, it was stated, because it was feared that the people of Auckland might make some kind of demonstration against the landing of the Makiup.’s passengers in the city itself. The plan did not moot with the approval of all the passengers however, and several of them entered a protest against what they called coming into Auckland “-by the back door. ” They said that if they could not cuter Auckland in an open manner, they preferred to remain where they were. When Dr. Valentine returned to the island on Sunday afternoon, he asked the passengers to have their luggage ready to leave at three o’clock. He was then approached by several of the quarantined people and asked for an assurance that they would be landed at one of the Auckland whsarves in the ordinary manner, and when this assurance was given, preparations were made to leave Motuihi. An immense amount of difficulty iarose with the handling of the luggage. The passengers themselves showed an extraordinary amount of indifference as to what became of their personal property, apparently because they thought that it ■was the duty of the shipping company to attend to this matter. With the help of a farm dray that happened to bo, on the island, the luggage wastaken from the quarantine station to the land end of tnc wharf. At this time the tide was on the ebb, and it was feared that the steamer Lady Roberts, which was to take the passengers and their luggage to the city, could not remain much longer at the wharf without touching bottom. The larger part of the luggage was eventually got as far as the end of the wharf on a trolley, but the passengers again had to be urged to look after their belongings at this and, as a result of the delay, when the steamer sailed at last, part of the luggage -was loft on the' island. In the course of the luggage-loading operations one large parcel was dropped overboard, to be afterwards recovered by ia defence launch. The articles belonging to the passengers which had to be left on the island for the time being were afterwards brought to Auckland by launch.

TWO OF MAKURA’S CREW DIE. ‘ AUCKLAND} this fla"y'l‘ Two more deaths have occurred at Motuihi, Thomas Rowan, able seaman and ‘A_ Johnstoza, fix'emar, both of the; Makura. '