THE MAYOR’S VINDICATION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3428, 6 March 1920, Page 5

THE MAYOR’S VINDICATION.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—-In your issue of March 2nd appears a ‘letter from Mr L. A .Sharland, in which he states that after considerable difliculty (I understand that the family were all laid=uP Vfifh influenza), he got ainessage *thT°lfsh to me for assistance and that towards evening he got this reply! "The Mayor states that there is no District Nurse and he has no one that he can send.” This statement is absolutely untrue, both in substance and in fact. No request of any sort reached me; therefore it was impossible that such a heartless reply as that quoted above could have been sent to Mr Sharland. As your correspondent has apparently had a lot of trouble and sickness, and is more in need of sympathy than censure and does not claim that he personally communicated with me, but had to depend on another, and further as he was man enough to sign his name" to his letter, I will refrain from further reflections just now except to ask him to give, through the “Times” the name ‘of the person Who brought him the message attributed to me. This letter is illuminative and illustrative in one way. Read, with the real facts" before them, it will give your readers an idea o-f what sort of criticism the Mayor of a town has to put up with.

It may interest the public to know that all preparations are made to deal with an outbreak of influenza, either in epidemic form or in isolated cases. A few weeks ago a call was made for assistance at the railway sheds, where six firemen were down. At the Council Office there is 3. list of nobleminded ladies who have offered their services for any emergency. When the call came for four, we took the names of the first four on the books and every one instantly responded, and nursed these patients 'fo convalesccnce. Allow me to give you their names:—— Mrs Paul, Mrs Joe Webb, Miss MePhee, and Miss Mona Bebanyand latex!‘ Sister Williams relieved. These and others. are ready to help again at a moment’s notice, and would have been only too pleased to have gone to the assistance of Mr Sharland’sl family had the call for help feached us.lmu: B-E6‘! . ' ’ A. J. JOBLIN.