THE PLAGUE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17392, 1 March 1922, Page 6

THE PLAGUE.

PRECAUTION ON NIAGARA.

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tionsatoneporttthefc^ Auckland and it is his desire snouia be no uncertain!' v ** -tW. He espreSrtSiJ tion at the Minister's innui 3 manner , n which he dfifW had[ ndden roughshod overly trntive sta ff in ventilating c » had not had confirmed from hi, r£ S * njent. Dr. the comjlaint referred to «S from Auckland, and berthing of the Wl > ther more, he claims that the Mfc.iT' ha, been completely The Hon. Mr Parr has written in a following terns: "It is statK, tf had not received a fresh toVCrf? wery morning. Indeed one M m„£ ant say. rt would hare Wn 2& to use a miscroseope to find ao/W all on a line. Further, two ofths tiJ. so I am informed, had holes hrtf' through which tho writer Mi W passed his hand. One from a lady to whose statement I d 0 not pace a great deal of cr«4ta w Z I not!ce that Mr Virtue « somewhat similar complaint in tli •'Auckland Herald." My espnieMk here, Wellington, has led me to elude that the Medical Offiogrt' «f Health would do well to.superrajtMJ closely the inspectors' work at the pgtf I am satisfied that occasionally thiii undoubted slackness."

Dr. McKibbin absolutely denies'Q» suggestion that there was any slartmai while the ivessel was in pori. Ho un \ the inspector, harbourmaster' and ii sistant harbourmaster saw that press! tions wero taken As a matter of fti i the Niagara was fitted out with &,m»1 pleto new set of modem rat gaw| and the measures taken were descjM by the harbourmaster as the most «»| plete he had yet seen. The nninittof ed. however, added Dr. McKibbin, ntyji easily assume from a casual inspecli«| of the ship that imperfect care'U| been taken because the fore an4rf.| spring hawsers were not guarded. Hsf reason for this was that these lit** were close to tile ship's side aneTwift : , the rise and fall of the tides rat rati; would buckle. It was also usual wtjrti guards to open occasionally for the uft tidal reason. Tho practice invaraft adopted and which was adopted m the Niagara was to block bits (tit opening through which th» haw passes), and to apply tarred canvas it the ship end, as no rat will paiJ'Wff a greased, tarred' surface. ''Comidorinp; the height of the Niagara is mm thirty to forty feet from the whirf,! fail to see how the Minister's; m* formant satisfied himself that the wp6 had not beep tarred. As a matted fact, on fairly close observatuin "it, might often appear there is< no .ttf'ffl canvas surrounding such ropes,, tat passing the finger over them son it; veals ite presence. Mr Virtue's «•• plaint referred to a wharf shed tiil was quite rat-proof, and Jiis crlticaii might fairly be directed agate tie Harbour Board, if anybody. MjMt ing in the matter i§ that ithe Mi&*> ter might, refer such complaints to t» medical officer concerned before be 4» credits every officer in the Dominioi unnecessarily by utterances in the puV lie Press. I feel sorry for the Minuter. The political situation is acuti, and he must considor it, but I depttcate political capital being made « these matters to the discomfiture « the Minister's own officers. The *«l of medical officers of health in New Zetland is difficult enough. Until Ne» Zealand possesses a. Local Government Board independent of political into ence, and a Provincial Council in Airland to co-ordinate with all conßlr/ local authorities throughout the.province, and until the Auckland .w Council has its own medical,officer or health, and Auckland Provincial Ceiicil has its own county medical offieer of health, it will be difficult eiioiij] with any Minister for sucMißfnlwOT to be undertaken. At present the Wpartmenl is in a state of 'chtM, * gendered by fierce political /otita iw scaremongering, and even if tn»"W» countv medical officer of health in W land held office in New ticu*irly in Auckland, he m\iw satisfy the demands made o,n lp- .'■. INTEOTED EAT OhVdM "'.", (By Cable-Press Aasociati<a-^#js (Australian and N.Z. Cable tmUm . (Eeceived February 28th 9.80 M SYDNEY, February * Another plague rat has be**> covered in the affected area at,rw dington.