THE EPIDEMIC.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16404, 26 December 1918, Page 7

THE EPIDEMIC.

DEPOPULATION OF PACIFIC

ISLANDS THREATENED

(By Cable. —Press Association. —Copyifetot >

(Reuter's Telegrams.)

(Received Deccmbor 25th, 11.35 p.m.)

SAN FRANCISCO, December 24

According to an official,oil ibe st e^rat-r Moana, which has arrived, depopulation through Spanish influenza threatens the Tahitian, Solomon, Gilbert, and other island groups of the South Pacific. During the week preceding the arrival of the Moana at Papeete, over 600 out of a population of 3700 died. Scores begged the captain for a passage to San Francisco to cscape the malady. Tho epidemic is so serious that no labour is obtainable for the cocoanut plantations or for harvesting the crops. The Governor is barricaded in his residence and is transacting business by telephone % Similar conditions in other islands aro reported by trading vessels.

FEW CASES IN SYDNEY. {lij Cable.—Press Association. —Copyright > SYDNEY, December 24. The influenza cases in quarantine have been rcduced to eight. FOUR DEATHS ON A STEAMER. MELBOURNE, December 24. The stoamer Carawa arrived with twenty-four cases of iulluenza aboard. Four deaths occurred. POSITION AT WAIROA. (raESS ASSOCIATION TELEGItAM.) Tv'AIROA, December 24. Influenza uinong tho Europeans has been practically mastered. The district SLiioot temporary hospital was closed down yesterday. Thore stili aro forty cases at the North Clydo Native Hospital, and eight at tho convalescent hospital. Whakaki reports fourteen paLieuls and thirty convalescents. The epidemic is abating every where, and the cases are milder. RESTRICTIONS RAISED. The latest report received by tho local Health Olßce indicates that Denniston is practically free of influenza, and the quarantine and the restrictions on hotels and race meetings havo therefore been raised. RELIEF OF SUFFERERS. GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS. (rnESS ASSOCIATION' TEIjEGItAIO WELLINGTON, December 24. A Labour deputation waited on tho Hon. J. A. Hanan (Minister cf Education) regarding measures for the reliof of sufferers from tho epidemic. In response to requests by the deputation, the Minister agreed that children should not be eeparhted from thenmothers where that could possibly be avoided; that the mother should have an allowance equivalent to what tho State would have to pay for maintenance in an institution: that the children should be boarded out rather than sent to an institution; and that the mother should have access to a child separated from her, provided, hor influence net bad. . „ Tho Minister said that specially qualified women would be appointed to look after boarded-out children. It was explained that tho policy of tho Department was to encourage parents in a position to do so to retain their o_wn children and, failing this, to provide propor homes for them. Tno doputation then saw the Hon. G. Wi Russell (Minister of Public Health) on the. question of allowances to -widows, and asked that thev should receive the samo amount au soldiers' widows; also that widowers not ablo to afford a housekeeper should be considered..

. The Ministor snid that it was a very large question. It was not the intention of the Government to restrict tne widows to ordinary widows' pensions, but the scale suggested involved so much expense that Cabinet must be consulted. He assured the deputation, however, that the money required' to give decent treatment to the widows and dependants of those who had died in the epidemic would bo. found. CLERGYMEN AND QUARANTINE. A SYDNEY CONTROVERSY. (FROM oun OWN COnitESrONDENT.) SYDNEY, December 13. New South Wales —or, at &ny rate, that section of it which concerns itself with Church matters —-has been convulsed with rage during the past week. Quite an exciting struggle developed between the, religious bodies and the Federal Cabinet, and the which was hopelessly in tho wrong, ended the trouble by surrendering. The affair started at the quarantine station. One of the heroic nurses who have been fighting there to keep tho plague" out of Australia was stricken down with the disease, and it was presently seen that her case was hopeless. Knowing that she was dying, and being a devout Roman Catholic she begged for a priest, to administer tho donsolation usual in such cases. The quarantine officers .would not allow a priest to enter the station. The Catholic authorities here applied to the Federal Government, stating that a priest was ready to enter, and would stay there and c mply with all necessary rules. Btill the Government refused, on the ground that not one person more than was neccssary should be exposed to infection. The nurse died, still calling for a priest. Of course, the Catholic community was tremendously ■ excitod over the event, and the action of the authorises was so callous and completely indefensible that the heads of other Churches supported the Catholics. The Rev. Professor Macinlyre, the leader of Presbyterian thought here, published some scathing letters. He said that the incident snmply confirmed the general impression that the average politician, in administrative affairs, simply never tcok religious and moral values into account. It was ascertained that others who had died in quarantine had sought religious consolation and had died without it, and had been buried by laymen. A demand was formulated for the admission of two chaplains—one Protestant and one Catholic. This also was curtly refused. Then excitement ran high." Public opinion, led by nil the newspapers, vas solidly a train st the Government. The Roman Catholics were particularly active, and held indignation meetings everywhere. There was a dramatic incident when the Venerable Archdeacon Kelly, head of tho Roman Catholic Church, drove to the gates of the station and formally demanded admittance. It wns refused by the military guard. "T admire tho manly action of your Grace." said the se r "but I cannot ndmit you." "What would you do if I tried to enter?" asked the prelate. "I would treat your Grace very kindlv," said iho soldier, "but I may not allow you in." The Archbishop formally protested and left.

Noxt dny the Government gave way, and chaplains were admitted. j HOW ENGLANTTWAS AFFECTED. A SOLDIER'S OBSERVATIONS. A New Zealand soldier just returned from England told a "Wellington "Prst" reporter that influcrza spread with, alarming rapidity throughout the British Isles. ' Some idea of the deadly nature of the | epidemic may be judged from the fact | that during th«r last week in October there were 7417 deaths from the disease !

in the ninety-six great towns in England and Wales, while 4482 deaths were

recorded during the previous week. Tho deaths in London alone durin that I week numbered 2453, as compared with 12-5G the previous week. i-acn Hay from 50 to 100 people were taken suddenly ill in London streets. I>eathrates in other towns were the highest ever recorded. . ~ , With such high mortality the medical profession had an excce iinsly y? :n S time. It was quite c mmon for a doctor to hnve a visiting list of between 1000 and 1500 patieuts, while thousands of sufferers were una'de to have proper attention. Hospitals and institutions were taxed, many serious cases being unable to secure admission. Where whole households wcro ill it was not unusual to see posted on the front doors of houses such notices as: "Den tknock; walk in. All in bed." Distress W3« apparent everywhere, bein<; chiefly iidieated by the mrgo number of funerals, hundreds of wmcli took place every day. Indeed, undertakers had so strenuous a time that many were compelled to refuse orders. As a result bodies were unable to be interred for fivp or six days. One sad instance was that of a family of ten !a;d aside by the disease. Five of the .children died, and whilst the remaining five members of the familv were confined to one room, the bodies were left in the house for several days. So serious was the position thronsnout the country that the War O tT 'cc liad to send eut f.atches of carpenters to assist undertakers in making coffins, while in mnr.y places soldiers wore emplrycd in digging graves. Hundreds of sold'ers. overjoyed at returning home after strenuous at. the front, met distress at the doors of their homes, quite i number arriving in time to attend the funerals of 4 .relatives.