The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1891.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3975, 28 November 1891, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1891.

This newfamilycDmpamon and household guest, the influenza of the period, is said to be a subtle poison, and is held to be one of those products of civilization which makes a settler long for the good old days when life was, perhaps, better worth living. Fleets of steamers, day after day, carry all that man desires from zone to zone and from shore to shore, and , at the same time they are wont to carry certain things which he does not altogether covet. There is some reason to believe that the subtle poison associated with la grippe lurks in these steam vessels, and that when an innocent passenger registers a berth he is all unconsciously initiated iu the la grippe brotherhood, and he returns from a holiday or business trip a sadder and a wiser man, and ' disseminates the subtle poison amongst ' his best JYiends. No wonder that doctors have now a fore taste of that medical paradise, which is supposed to consist of an unlimited number of remunerative patients, and that drug- , gists become rapturous as they brew bucket after bucket of broth— a la grippe. Fortunately, though the poison be subtle, it is amenable to treatment, and 4'iougli one case of death has, indubitably, been debited to its account in Master ton, it is pretty certain that sufferers who conduct themselves prudently under the infliction and follow competent advice, are not in danger. It has been thought by some that half the population of the , town and district hav3 fallen victims to the infection, but this is, doubtless, an exaggeration. The large number of votes polled on Wednesday last was an indication that the adult male population of the town is still able tj get about. While, however, the epidemic prevails, it is very undesirable for '.hose who are exempt from it to indulge in pleasure trips for there is, we feel certain, good reason to believe that the subtle poison is in posses-, sion of steam boats and other places where travellers congregate. We could cite ins'ances of many settlers who have started from home in this neighbourhood in splendid health and returned to sip la grippe broth, and to mourn their unlucky outings. Perhaps the directors of New Zealand, who are having a busy time of it just now, might give the public a few hints as to the precautions which should be observed in facing this particular enemy. We have on paper Boards of Health to the right of us, Boards of Health to the left of us, and Boards of Health all round us, but we fancy these institutions are solemn frauds, aud no epidemic is strong enough to wake them up. Typhoid in Government House gripping the Heir of an Earldom was not sufficient to arouse the sanitary authorities in Wellirgton. Every municipally is a legally constituted board of health, but R'.e never heard of one of these boardg coming to the assistance of poor humanity in a time when general sickupss was prevalent. It would be well, however, for the civLe authorities in this town, having regard to tlifl fijttffiuie Leat of the weather this 3eascn, and to the gravity of the prevailing epidemic, to exert their powers as a Board of Health by aß:ertainjngfrom medi cal residents whether the sanitary eon? ditiou of the town is satisfactory and by actively employing the Borough Inspector, who is only paid for a ; nominal supervision, in making a thorough report on all premises from j which disease is hkoly to spread or to he engendered.

Oor contemporary again ssks whether it is correct or otherwise that Mr Joseph Pay ton, a member of the Park Trust, paid a deposit of £2 10s on behalf of the promoters of the picnic, and tried to secure 'he oval long before the Friendly Societies knew anything of what was going on ? Mr Payton did not pay a deposit on behalf ot the promoters of the picnic, and he did not try to secure the oval tor anybody. The insinuation which our contemporary suggests is a pure and undiluted falsehood. The Secretary tells us that on three different occasions he has explained to Mr Alexander Hogg the real facts of the case, but that this individual fails to grasp them. He is an unscrupulous and contemptible bully who has brought forward a false charge which he cannot substantiate, and which he has not the manliness to withdraw. We could excuse ignorance on his part, and we could overlook impudence, but we cannot quite condone wilful misrepresfnihtion. if he or the friendly societies can show that Mr Paytoo in any particular acted in other than a strictly fair and impartial manner Mr Payton will hand over to the Knights of Labor a sum of five pounds which they can Rpend in banquetting their mendacious champion.