WALTHAM ORPHANAGE

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17394, 3 February 1917, Page 3

WALTHAM ORPHANAGE

SCHOOL COMMITTEES' PROTEST REPLY FROM HON G. W. ; RUSSELL. NO GROUND FOR ALARM. At a meeting of the . Canterbui School Committee's' Association, he] during the week, the following resoh tion was passed : —" That this associ tion strongly protests against tl action of the Hospital Board in mal ing use of the old at WaJ ham as a fever hospital. Tl ground, of the prqtest being (1) ths the building is an old wooden one, su rounded by narrow streets in a crow< ed neighbourhood; (2) that the sectio on which it stands is drained by a open drain and thence into the rivei (3) that it is in the immediate vicihit of two large public schools one Sydei ham, with an attendance of over 100< and another Waltham, with an attent ance of 700, the distance from the later being only a.few hundred yards. It- was decided to send the motion.,* the Hon G. \V. Russell, Minister < Public Health. . ,'_, The following reply has be,en receiyt by Mr W. H. Joyce, secretary-of th association, from,the Minister:— "I have the honour to acknowledg receipt of your letter of January 2t conveying the resolution ; of* you School Committees' Association r< garding the temporary occupation ,c the Waltham Orphanage for- scar*< fever patients; In reply I begvlt state that this is a matter which Mnder the administration and control < the North Canterbury Hospital Boarc It is their duty and responsibility SI make arrangements within their dis trict for cases of infectious diseases... " I may add that during my receh visit to Ohristchurch I made aearefu inspection of the premises and ai satisfied that there is. no ground what ever for alarm., Certain suggestion were made by me with the intentio: of making the safeguards even mor oomplete, and i liave no doubt thes have been given effect to, as the secrc tary of the Hospital Board was >wit' me when I visited the institution: S far as I am aware there is ' not th slightest intention tb convert th orphanage into a permanent fever hos pital. I made careful inquiries oj this point. Unfortunately Christ church has been subject to' an epidemi of scarlet fever unparalleled in magni tude. and this has created difficultie which ..the board have met to the bes of their ability. ' \ ; '.' " Some months ago I approved, aft'e inspection, of three new wards be'iij erected at Bottle Lake, and the spre cautions taken by the board, togethe with the extra buildings provided, wft 1 feel sure, enable any future epidemi to be adequately dealt with. "I beg to assure your, committee 0 my great anxiety to assist in ever way to maintain the health of th population, and, had there been, th slightest' danger to the children at tending the Waltham or Sydenhar Schools I should have been prepared t exercise any power that I possess •* prevent the use of the institution fo such a purpose. lam satisfied, however, that the cause for the alarm ( i groundless, and when the time come for the removal of the fever patient) back to Bottle Lake it will-be realise* that none of the untoward consequence 'w&iclv your committee feats Will hav happened." , '-