PLAGUE PRECAUTIONS AT AUCKLAND

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 57, 9 March 1922, Page 4

PLAGUE PRECAUTIONS AT AUCKLAND

(«Y TELEORAPU.—I>RESS ASSOCIATION.)

AUCKLAND, Bth March.

A statement was made by the deputychairman of the Harbour Board (Sir. H. B. M'Kehzie) in reference to the berthing of the Niagara recently. It is necessary to berth her at the Queen's Wharf owing to her great beam. Mr. Mackenzie said: "The board took;special precautions, when necessary, to! berth her at this wharf, and detailed two officers to supervise the placing of rat discs and the 1 tarring of lines. In addition, the harbourmaster personally 'watched the Niagara, and he was quite satisfied with the way in which these precautions had been completed. The mooring lines received a fresh coat of ta-r, both morning and evening, and a man was told off to watch the ship all.the time she was at the wharf. Three men working in shifts of eight hours kept a watchful eye on the Niagara. These precautions are being carried out with all ships alongside of the wharves, and every assistance is given to the Health Department to see that the regulations are strictly carried out. The great difficulty experienced at Auckland, in keeping the ratguards firmly attached to mooring linesis caiised by the large rise and fall of the tide, which necessitates constant heaving and slacking away of lines. As an additional, prevention a strip of tarred canvas, a foot wide, is 7jlaced across the ship's end of the gangway. All these regulations are not our regulations. They, are framed by the Health Department, and' we arc simply taking the trouble of seeing the.v are strictly enforced." The reason 1 for the statement was that the health officer at Auckland, bad made certain allegations in respect to the precautions taken at Auckland, when the Niagara was berthed, to prevent vats coming, on shore from' the. 1 vessel. >