FEDERAL QUARANTINE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 145, 16 December 1913, Page 8

FEDERAL QUARANTINE

REGULATIONS NEW ZEALAND PASSENGERS TO AUSTRALIA WHY THE EMBARGO SHOULD BE REMOVED. For some time past citizens who travel to Australia- have been protesting against the continuance of the quarantine regulations and tli© insistence upon vaccination by the Federal Health authorities. Auckland, where the epidemic of smallpox was most prevalent, is now regarded by the New Zealand Health authorities as a clean city. For five weeks no fresh case has been reported in Auckland city. For over a week the isolation hospital in the North has been empty. In the whole of the Auckland district there were lost week only three cases under observation, and it was anticipated that these 'patients, who were all convalescent, would be discharged by the end of tho week. The Federal Health Department lifted the embargo from Sydney about a Sort-night ago. but still requires all people coining from New Zealand to submit to' vaccination, in tho face of the fact that cased are still beiug discovered 'in the New Sooth Wales capital, while oven in that portion of New Zealand which was most affected there are no signs of a recrudescence of the outbreak.' , Though tho restrictions are particularly unnecessary as they affect the South Island, they press most heavily upon Auckland and Wellington, since it is to these ports that the major portion of the tourist traffic from Australia comes, and people are likely to hesitate before coming her© if they know that they must be vaccinated before they return to Australia. Dr. Valintine, Chief Health Officer, was asked by a. reporter if any steps had been taken to secure the removal of tho restrictions. He replied that communication was proceeding between tho Health Department and the Federal quarantine authorities. The Department had pointed out that no cases had been notified in Auckland since 4th November; «nd had urged strongly the removal of the restrictions. "We hay© Bent full particulars of the epidemic and its subsidence to the Federal quarantine authorities in Melbourne, ana we can, I think, reasonably expect that the restrictions will be uplifted almost immediately." "SENSELESS, VEXATIOUS, PRECAUTIONS " AUCKLAND, This Day. The Star, commenting on the Hon. R. H. Rhodes's statement in Parliament regarding smallpox, says :— " Apparently our Minister of Public Health is satisfied that New Zealand is ' clean.' Then why should he not act accordingly? If the Federal Health authorities insist on preventing New Zealanders from landing in Australia unless vaccinated, let the Federal Public Health Department carry out their own regulations, but surely there' is no reason why our own Public Health authorities should help enforce, the senseless, vexatious precautions. This is a situation in which a little display of vigor and determination on the part of our own Minister of Public Health would have a beneficial effect. We will trust that Mr. Rhodes will rise to the occasion and refuse to be any longer a party to the solemn farce of treating a country absolutely free of any infection as if it were ' unclean.' The compulsory vaccination of adults is not sanctioned by law in this country, and on the Minister of Health's own confession there is no" justification on the ground of danger for the enforcement of such a regulation against auy section of tho community. There are numerous 'instances in which the vaccination of adults has been followed by serious illness. In other cases persons have lost their passages through enforcement of tliis unwarrantable officialmade law against everyone who has occasion to visit Australia."