EPIDEMIC COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17094, 25 February 1919, Page 6

EPIDEMIC COMMISSION.

SANITATION OF AUCKLAND.

CITY COUNCIL'S ACTIVITY.

HEALTHY CONDITIONS.

EVIDENCE BY THE MAYOR.

When tho Influenza Epidemic Commission resumed its investigations yesterday, under the chairmanship of Sir John Denniston, evidence was given by the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, and by Mr. J. Stanton, city solicitor, tho former in regard to matters of interest primarily to the Auckland public, and the latter in regard to tho provisions of the Public Health Act. Mr. Gunson mado a comprehensive statement on matters brought into prominence by the epidemic, relating to the arrival of the Niagara and the Makura, tho organisation of the Citizens' Committee, and the steps taken in tho Auckland metropolitan area to combat tho epidemic. He also dealt with the question of the administration of public- health activity, and outlined the work of the City Council in connection with varied phases of municipal enterprise. ]

Arrival of the Niagara. Healing with tho Niagara, Mr. Gunssi said that on October 12, when the vessel arrived, thero were a number of friends of passengers and members of Parliament on the wharf to meet the Prime Minister and Sir Joseph Ward on their return from England. He had previously been informed by Sir James Allen that there was sickness on board tho Niagara, and ho protested to the Minister regarding tho vessel being allowed to berth. Ho also protested to Dr. T. J. F. Hughes, district health officer, and Dr. G. Graham Russell, port health officer, concerning the berthing of the vessel, and said ho would throw tho responsibility on both if the public health were endangered. Ho made a further protest to Sir James Allen, seeing that the Niagara had not been boarded by the port health officer, and the Minister admitted that he was surprised that, the vessel had been allowed to come alongside. Sir James Allen asked witness if he would like the wharf cleared, and witness said he would appreciate such an I action. This was done just as the vessel was berthed, witness leaving with the rest of the public. He was aware that influenza had visited other countries, and lie was considerably concerned at the Niagara,' which had sickness on board, being allowed to berth at the wharf. On October 14 he sent a protest to the Minister for Public Health against the vessel being allowed to remain at the wharf. Mr. Gunson submitted a number of, telegrams he had forwarded to the Minister regarding the case of the Niagara, and the replies thereto, the nature of all of which has been published.

Minister Approves Organisation. Proceeding, Mr. Gunson referred to the establishment of the Citizens' Committee, which, he said, had suggested to tile Minkter for Public Health that influenza should, be made a quarantinable diseaso. A reply was received from Mr. Russell stating that the outbreak of iniluenw in Auckland during October bad not proved worse than in other parts of the Dominion, and that he could not agreA to make influenza a quarantinable disease. On the following day, November 2, the Citizens' Committee sent a further telegram to the Minister, urging the quarantining of all overseas ships. A reply stated that the Minister could not order ships to be detained in quarantine, and that the question of making influenza a notifiable disease presented serious difficulties. Mr. Gunson gave evidence in regard to the visit of the Minister to Auckland, and said that after Mr. Rueßell'fi return to Wellington, he, witness, was thoroughly satisfied that Mr. Russell had done everything possible to help the Citizens' Committee A letter was received from the Minister expressing, on behalf of tho Government, gratification at the thorough organisation set up in Auckland to combat the epidemic. He specially commended the work of witness. # In reply to Mr. D. McLaren, Mr. Gun» : son said "that sometimes an overseas ship was examined by the port health officer in the stream, and occasionally while the vessel was berthed at the wharf. Both practices were followed. The Niagara was berthed before the wharf was cleared, and it was possible for one of the public to have shaken hands with a person leaning out of a porthole.

Mr. Russell's Telegram. In answer to the Hon. E. Mitchelson, Mr. Gunson said he bad received details of sickness occurring in households after a visit from one of the Niagara's passengers. He promised the commission to submit a number of letters he had received on this point. Mr. Gunson then gave evidence in connection with the case of the Makura. He read copies of telegrams he sent to the Minister regarding the matter, also the T-eplies. The telegram sent by Mr. Russell making allegations regarding slums and i generally dirty conditions in Auckland was read, and Mr. Gunson informed the commission of the. nature of the feeling in Auckland when tho contents of (the telegram were made public. Tho chairman said that, perhaps, the telegram was unfortunately worded, but in his opinion it would "be as well to eliminate the personal element from the coiimisaion's investigations. The commission had not to consider the controversy between the Minister and the Mayor; it did not come within the scope of the inquiry. Auckland was large enough and distinguished enough to completely answer the statements in the Minister's telegram. The best answer to the allegations was evidence of the actual sanitary condition of Auckland.

The MayOr said the opinion expressed by Sir John Denniston coincided with his own. and he accepted Ihe position as defined by the chairman that the personal clement should be kept outside the scope of the commission's inquiry. Auckland really was large enough, and dignified and distinguished enough, to answer the allegations of tho Minister in some other way. It was a fact, however, that tho sanitary conditions in Auckland were as good as those in other ccntros in the Dominion. Mr. Guuson proceeded* to give further evidence regarding the Makura. He referred to the report he had received of the alleged intention of the chief health officer, Dr. T. H. A. Valintine, to land the Makura's passengers at St. Heliers Bay. This arrangement was subsequently cancelled, and the passengers wore brought to Auckland direct. _ Witness protested to Dr. Valintine against passengers beino allowed to come to the city and mix witli the community after having disembarked from an infected ship only 24 hours previously. Mr. Granson gave general evidence regarding preparedness in the event of a recrudescence of the epidemic.

Local Conditions Not Responsible. Regarding tho health of the city. Mr. Gunson said the conditions were nominally healthy, and it was never thought or considered that local conditions contributed, or were responsible for tho epidemic. The Auckland City Council had had a medical officer for over twenty years. His duties had been those of a consulting officer called upon whenever necessary. Since _ 'the Public Health Department established a branch in Auckland, the services of the district health officer had to a very large extent superseded the necessity of calling upon the city health officer. Since May, 1904, Ho the present date, upon the certificate of the district health officer condemning buildings, 76 notices had been served upon owners, and except, in cases where the owners, appealed to the magistrate, and had succeeded, these

notices had been enforced. During the last 15 years 600 houses had been removed at the instance of the council. Areas containing buildings which were congested, or which had fallen into disrepair, had been dealt with in either ways.

Rallef of Congested Areas. Improvements were effected by the acquirement of the land for Myers* Park. The re-laying out of Beach Road and Atizac Avenue also caused the removal of a number of small houses, which would, however, inevitably have disappeared, owing to the extension of the business area. This extension of the business area was also affecting the removal of small houses from areas such as Wakefield, Alexandra. St. Paul's, Albert, Hobson, Nelson, and other streets toward Freeman's Bay. The council had strictly enforced tho provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act Ifco prevent overcrowding. The council had exercised its powers to provide workers' dwellings. In 1915 the council raised a .loan of £3000 to erect six workers' dwellings in Ponsonby, but tho cost of land and building, although cut down to a minimum, did not enable it he erection of cheap houses, and the experiment was not so satisfactory as had been hoped for. Since the epidemic tho City Council had established a scheme for I abolishing slum areas, and had given in-' structions to connect over 250 dwellings I with tho sewer. These premises had been served by the pan system. Since the com-1 pletion of the sewerage system, steady progress had been made in abolishing the pan system.

Existence of Slums Denied. Mr. Gunson said ho defined a slum as a place where the health of the people who lived there was constantly endangered on account of tho conditions under which they lived. In some quarters in Auckland there was a measure of overcrowding and congestion, and a measure of filth. Some places required constant watching, Tho sanitary system was complete and thorough. Ho was prepared to say that there were no slums in Auckland in the ordinarily accepted sense of the word, although there were many dwellings which were [ undesirable and wore undesirably crowded. I Regarding the alleviation of congestion, the transport of the city was in the hands of a private electric tramways company, and the council made constant endeavours to persuade the company to improve tho suburban services. The council was considering a proposal to borrow £250,000 to erect workers' dwellings. The council had the power under the statute to proceed with the work without formally securing the approval of the ratepayers, but as Mich a large sum was involved, probably the council would take a poll. Dr. G. Graham Russell, port health officer, recalled at his own request, said lie wished to make it perfectly clear that ] the crew's quarters on the Niagara were quite equal to those on any vessel of similar ago, and were, in fact, somewhat better than the quarters on some ships. The commission will resume this morning.