A HELPFUL. CONFERENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 203, 26 August 1913, Page 5

A HELPFUL. CONFERENCE.

TRAFFIC CHIEFS CONSULTED. PATROLLING THE WATERFRONT. A conference took place at the City Council Chambers yesterday afternoon for the purpose of discussing ways and means of most effectively keeping the disease out of Auckland. There were present: The Chief Health Officer (Dr. Valintine), the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr), the chairman of the Hospital Board (Mr. J. M. Mennie), the Superintendent- of Police (Mr A. J. Mitchell), the District Railway Traffic Manager (Mr. W. A. Bowles), the manager of the -Tramways Company (Mr. J. J. Walklate), and the managers of the Union and Northern Steamship Companies (Messrs. A. B. J. Irvine and G. Ranson, respectively).

The shipping representatives stated that their officials were adopting strict measures to prevent uncertificated Maoris travelling, but Air. Ranson pointed out that it was possible for Natives to reach Auckland from infected settlements by means of scows, fishing boats, etc.. -which were not subject to inspection , on arrival. After discussion, it was agreed that a constable and one of the Health Department's inspectors should be told off to keep a eharp look-out on the waterfront for all small craft arriving in the harbour.

Superintendent Mitchell, who stated that the Department had had the assistance of one member of his staff since the eoMmencementof the epidemic, also undertook to ensure that Natives loitering about the city in aimless fashion should be sent back to their settlements. Mr. Bowles said that strict instruction's ' had been given to train officials to prevent uncertincated Maoris travelling, and.he promised to again impress upon his staff the-importance of enforcing these restrictions. Mr. Walklaie stated in reply to the Mayor th&t .Tie was not aware that Maoris holding no certificates were riding to and from the city' in the tramcars. He promised to issue fresh instructions, and see that the Company's inspectors boarded the- cars frequently to make quite sure that no such Xatives were travelling* Before the conference rose, Dr. ■Valintine thanked those who had attended for the advice and promises of assistance which they had so readily given. He also spoke hopefully of preventing a recurrence of the disease in Auckland and suburbs. BAGIKG IN THE NORTH. ALARMING SPREAD OF DISEASE. DEMAND FOR STRICTER MEASURES. {By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) ■ WHANGAREI, this day. Mr. "Vernon Reed, M.P., is leaving by the Manaia to-day for Anckland. H«> states that the situation in the Bay of Islands is "absolutely rotten." that the disease is ipreadiag all over the place,!

that the present precautions have absolutely failed, and that hall the cases have never been notified. Ha will bring the matter up on the floor of tOe House. The disease, he asserts, will be right through the white.population It they am not careful. The position is ray serious. A case said to -be-true chicken-pox lias been located in Whangarei borough in the schoolmaster's house. The family hae been isolated. . MAORIS WILL r.mvTPT.-g , . WITH ALL REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS. In a letter to the editor, one of tho first native patients admitted to the Kaikohe Isolation Hospital pays tribute to the work of Drs. CawkweD, Buck, and Duncan, in endeavouring to check the progress of the disease. The letter proceeds:—"The natives in this district are commencing to realise the seriousness of the position, and whatever reasonable precautions the Health Department proclaims we will readily endeavour to observe. No doubt the health officers are waking up to the fact that they have a most difficult problem before them, and it is to be hoped that their energies will be rewarded. The disease has such, a firm hold that it is practically impossible to state definitely as to when the country should be free from its effects. No" donbt the Chief Health Officer's visit to the district will make a great difference in the conduct of affairs. Poor old Maoris, suffering from a pakeha disease, and getting looked upon by some people as a nuisance to the country!" SOME OF THS CONSEQUENCES. LAND SETTLEMENT HAMPERED. (By Telegraphs—Special to ." Star."; WELLINGTON, Monday. It is difficult to trace the troublesome consequences of the smallpox outbreak to their full extent. The settlement of native land will be hampered for one thing, as the Native Land Court has had to suspend all sittings in. Auckland province. It is still doing its work in the eastern part of the North Island, but the greater portion of its useful operations in facilitating settlement is at a standstill.