SMALL-POX.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 122, 25 May 1903, Page 2

SMALL-POX.

THE UPOLU'S CARGO. PRECAUTIONS AT NEW PLYMOUTH CONSIGNEES REFUSE DELIVERY EIGHT MEN VACCINATE 3. O.i Saturday morning the Port Health Officer, Dr. MoOleland, with Mr Kondall, the local officer of the Health Department, were down at the wharf early, and took charge of the unloading operations on the Upolu. I f was understood that ell the tranehipmen 1 ; of tapioca from the Gracjhcs was in the fora-hold, and ualoading from the other holds was proceeding rapidly wh'u it waa faund that a number of bags had been s'ow.d in tie hold amidships. This, and the cargo in the forebold, was taken charge of by Mr Kendall, and th 9 tap 02a taken out cf the bags in which it arriv.d, whiih were at once burned. The tapioca was re-bagged in now chan bags, and all the cvrgo in the vicinity of the tapioca, and tin vessel being disinfected and fumigated by Mr Kendall with femerlice, the most powerful disinfectant liiiown, under the immediate supervision of Dr. McO eland. The four men who worked the fcrehold werd ciiefu'ly vaccinited, and the three men who discovered the bags of tapicci in the 1) Id amidships, and a railway htcd w'.n a'so came in contact with iuf clcd cargo. The Upolu lift during Saturday afternooo, taking the whol.; 125 bigs of tapioca with be', as Mr. Oldham, the local agent of L. D. Nathin k 00., to whom the 25 bans were onsigned, followed the example of Messis. Burgess, Eraser & 00., and refused to take delivery., it is reported that the tipioca will ba taken back *jo Wellington, but we hope the authorities will order it to b3 destroyed and compacsite the consignee Meaer.-t Burgess, Fraeer & 00., and L D. Nathan & Co., as until it is got rid ol an uneasy feeliuK will prevail. FOl our part wa int nd to follow this tapioca up aud ke p our readers informed ol its wheraaboutAt is i*, there can b< no absolute i y in New Plymouth till after the Upse cf, say another ter . days or so, as we belUve that the germi of this horrible disaass have m>st aS' tonishing vitality, and when they hav< ' found a suitable habit :t may not de vdope for about fourteen days, thougl they mty develope sooner or perhaps t > little later.

OPINIONS ELSEWHERE. Very strong comments are being made about the laxity of the Port rteilh Officers at Port Oaa'mera and rioaaru, and a searching inquiry is damtndad. Newspapers all the colony are writing very strongly on the sutj-et, pointing out tbe failure of tbe precautions to keep out this dread lisease. The H.B. Herald, in the couraa of a very strong article, says "We are af -aid that 'we have for many year<j ps 1: lean living in a fjol's paradise Vaccination has, beyond any doubt, no' bien carried out as complfct ly as it should be. Parents hive not realised tbe danger of infection. We should thitk the case of the Gracchus wou d convince the greatest sceptic of the posj.bility of tbe dise*s9 obtaining an entrance to the colony, and of tbe necessity of guarding against it. On the other hind we think thit tho Government is not acting pr.iperly in illowing cargo to be carried up the coast.' All tbe G racchua tranship men' a should, before 'hie, have baen unloaded and propei ly disinfected." At Timaru the Borough Council at its last m setirg passed a very strong resolution at tbe risK to which the town has been exposed. Before onc'uding we would like to say that we consider Messrs Burges*, Fras r and Go. are entitled to the hi arty thanks of the c immunity for f»o promptly refusing to allow tin Grnccb us cargo to belauded here. Also Mr Oldham for following their example. A word of priisi is also due to Dr McClelacd and Mr Kendall for th« rhoiough wiy in which they hive done all in ih->ir power to prevent iufection, and we can now only trust to Providenoe that the measures taken may prove effectual,