INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 July 1919, Page 5

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC.

HEAVY TOLL AT SAMOA. INFECTION FROM NEW ZEALAND. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, July 10. At the epidemic inquiry in Apia, Dr. Atkinson stated that he nude the usual investigation on the Talune's arrival. The captain reported that the health in New Zealand wag perfect, that on the Talune everyone sjas off color, : -1 l had the snifTles, but nothing serious, and they are all over it. Asked if people were practically taken out of their beds for medical inspection and struggled past him, Dr. Atkinson replied that this was the first be bad heard of it.

Captain Cotton, secretary for Native Affairs, produced a statement that the population in Samoa before the epidemic wan 38,178, and after the epidemic 30,638. The deaths were 7542, including 3265 men, 2704 women, and 1373 children.

The Samoa, Epidemic Commission sat in Auckland to-day. Tbo chairman said the ' evidence already taken did show without a shadow of doubt that the Talune brought the epidemic to Samoa. There Were six or eight people on the vessel suffering from influenza; one girl died the day following her arrival, and her mother died shortly afterwards. The evidence they wished to obtain from Colonel Logan now wag chiefly why the message from Pagopago offering assistance was ignored. Colonel Logan here stated that he recollected the telegram, but not its offer of assistance, which assistance he thought might have referred to Mrs. Mitchell, wife of the Ainerican Consul, and not to the whole of the patients. The chairman asked Colonel Logan whether, having censored the telegram from Pagopago and weighed evefy word, it was an offer of help. • Colonel Logan answered that he did not read it as carefully as the censor, ft being in thd nature of an official document, the offer of help should come to him (Colonel Logan) direct as Administrator. AN EXTRAORDINARY INCIDENT ADMINISTRATOR AND MISSION Auckland, Jnly 10. A great many question# were put to Colonel Logan's evidence with regard to his visit to Papauta Mission School of the lxmdon Missionary Sociqfy, and complaints were made against him by the teachers.

The chairman said it had been stated that Colonel Logan asked, for girls to help to bury the dead, and that he had said he would burn the house down.

Witness said he had been angry because this particular Mission had done nothing but attend to its own girls, while other Missions' Sfchoola had taken charge of their districts. He had told Mies Moore, Who was in charge,' that he knew how to get the girls out, and when she asked how, he replied: "By putting a match to th® building." H« had asked them to send the girls to feed the sick.

The chairman: They say that girls had been assisting on the morning of this visit. Seventy girls w<fte still ill, and the remaining 30, who we» just out of bed, were not strong enough to do any work.

Witness said he had seen girls playing about the school for days. The chairman remarked: certainly made them get out. It is said that 25 of them started out and walked ffve miles, and that one died afterwards. Witness said the girls were just as fit to work as others were were wording, The conduct of this particular Bchoo) was un-Chridtian. "I told the prinoipal," he said, "that the school was a disgrace w Christianity." She was encouraging the girl to do nothing." DEATH TOLL IN NEW SOUTH WALES. Received July 10, fl.So p.m. , Sydney, July 10. The official figures as to influemta deaths to date in the metropolis are 2896, and for the whole State 4130 Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn-