INFLUENZA.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16516, 7 May 1919, Page 7

INFLUENZA.

to TltS EDITOR or "THE fBESS."

Sir, —Someone said lately that the Hon. G. W. Russell' wits something of a stylist in English. Perhaps, therefore, the Minister of Public Health will explain what he means by the following paragraph which appoared on Saturday in his statement regarding the New Zealnnders stranded in Sydney: "Until our quarantine stations are sufficient for a full ship's company and an average'passenger list, it. is not intended to relax the Australian embargo until the position very much improves in Australia." Apart from the crudity in the use of connectives, the statement is one of the autocratic sort, to which we were accustomed during the prevalence of the war mauin, The plain truth is that, on the Minister's own admission, tlio New Zealnnders are kept in Australia becauso of the Minister's neglect of n certain duty. It was his placo to see that the quarantine : stations were ready, especially when! he had such a warning as that given bv the late epidemic. I certainlv think that those who have suffered financial | or other loss will bo able to obtain damages either from the Government or from the Minister responsible. He has given himself away by his first "until."—Yours, etc., EMBARGO. i May 6th.