THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, MAY 3, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1974, 3 May 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, MAY 3, 1875.

We had not space in Saturday's issue to offer any comments on the .figures published showing the frightful mortality ; i amongst infants ia the Thames District as shown by the Registrar's return for the month just ended. Such a number has never been reached before, and it more than the births registered. Under ordinary circumstances the death rate for the Thames does not average more than seven or eight for a month; during April the number reached 43. Of this number only four were adults, .and two were the result of accident, one being the case of a young man drowned at Ohinemuri which, should properly have been included in the March return, but was not registerecl until last month; and another was a death at the Hospital from an accident received/in March. There was also one infant's death included, the cause of which was injuries received from burning in December last. So that the actual number of deaths for the month of April was 41. . The chief cause of this

frightful mortality amongst children has been the prevailing epidemics—measles and its accompanying ills. It will be remembered that when ,the first, ease of measles was reported, the local Board of Health made every exertion to have the patient isolated, but without success. They found themselves hampered With so many legal restrictions that they were powerless to do anything calcu' lated to prevent the spread of the disease, and since that time no attempt appears. to have been made to keep it in check. It has run riot through the district, and during the last three months about 70 or 80 deaths have taken place, chiefly attributable to measles* and other infantile diseases which have either attended measles or followed in its train. So little-appears to bo known of measles that it is impossible to say that any effectual preventive could have been devised. It would, however, have been satisfactory if ordinary means had been used in the early stages of the epidemic to isolate those who were attacked. The result, however, shows that the Health'- Act is wholly inadequate to the purpose for which it was intended, and it is to be hoped that some amendment of its provisions 'will be made during the coming season of Parliament. It appears to us Only reasonable that Boards of Health, whether local. or : general, should have power to act independently and promptly to meet emergencies as - they arise. It may;happen that more serious epidemics may visit the colony—diseases of a contagious nature as fatal to the adult life as measles has proved to infants, For such a possibility this district is quite unprepared in respect of; a -sanatorium for isolating patients:; and if it were otherwise, the local Board of Health-would ■be powerless to" act under the present law. The Borough Council, as the " local authority" to act in this matter, should bring the circumstances under the notice of tbe government; and of themselves, oi* in conjunction with similar bodies, make such represen T tations as will induce the Government to ■ amend the law. The subject is one of the greatest importance. Due regard for the public health is one ©f the first duties of Government.

When so * many. persons were venting their;indignation on the Government for proclaiming Tairua under the Goldniining Districts Act, we pointed out that Tairua was so:situated as to he a natural extension of this field, because it joined on to the original field, and to the southern extension of Whang'amata and Hikutaia, and also hecause from its geographical position it could not he made a portion of the Obinenrari field to he administered under the Act of 1866. It appears that there is a much better 1 reason existing why Tairua should be opened under ttie Goldmining Districts Act;.: The Pakirarahi Block,, in > which .the prospector Neeve made the discovery which primarily was the cause of the district being I opened at all, adjoina the boundary of the old goldfield, and .the discovery is near the boundary—so near that already fresh discoveries have been made and areas taken up within the former goldfields area. S» that if Tairua had been proclaimed^ under the Act of 1866 a strange anomaly would have arisen. The prospector, who has spent a good portion ©f seven years in looking for gold would have bpen restricted to a few men's ground, while persons pegging out on this side the boundary line could have marked out thirty acres of possibly just as rich ground at the prospectors'. A glance at a map of the peninsula ought to satisfy the most dissatisfied that the Government have acted wisely in the matter. They could not have done otherwise, indeed, without revoking the former proclamations and readjusting the boundaries of, the Thames and Ohinemuri goldfields, which the discovery at Tairua scarcely warranted. .