EPIOEMIC COMMISSION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 73, 27 March 1919, Page 5

EPIOEMIC COMMISSION

CS«ISTCHUM,: EVIDENCE. .{United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, March 26. At the Influenza Commission afternoon sitting Mr Haryty, secretary of. the Automobile Association, said that there was a considerable amount of overlapping in the motor car work during the epidemic,' and in case of a future Epidemic he thought there should be authority to commandeer any car or van. Mr Justice Deimiston: “It’s all camj ing back to my original suggestion that I the next time th£re Is epidelnic a dictator should bh appointed. 1 Mr H. Holland, Mayor 6! Christchurch said hh knew pf h6 overlapping by medical men during the epidemic after the doctors had adopted the block system. He thought the Health Department comI mitted a very ambus error of judgment i in not isolating Auckland when the epi- | deinic assumed such serious proportions ' there. Had Carnival Week 6e’Eh stopped or had Auckland bfeen isolated he considered that the, disease, would not have Spread all over the South Island. Mr Justice Denniston pointed out that ; at that time iMiieiiza wdf hot a notifiable disease, and it would not be fair to blamp the Department if the legisla tion were at fault. " v . ; Mr M. J. Gresson, barrister and solicitor, said that during the epidemic Dr, Chesson, the District Health Officer, was endeavouring to do the work of five or ten men,- he thongnt power should bo given to the health officers to gather together a committee of business men, etc. to-assist them in. time,of epidemic Mr H. R. Smith, Town Clerk, said that the City Council could do practi tally everything with regard to cemei terios and burials except to convey the j bodies from the deceaseds’ houses to the | cemetery. During the recent epidemic I niftnv bodies were lying unburied and uncoffined and undertakers were unable to overtake the work. The city then ! undertook the burial of bodies, though it nad no statutory po\ver to do so. The result was that burials .took place at a very cheap rate. iIORE INSPECTORS NEEDED. . CHRISTCHURCH, This. Day. Before the Influenza Commission, Mr W. S. Wharton, secretary of the North \ Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid ’ Board, said that after the block system had been adopted by medical men, there f Wa£ very little trouble. Everything wprk- ! ed’smoothly, except in a few instances, whfre a doctor became ill. Regarding the work of the Health Inspectors, the Hospital Board had always held that they should he directly under the control of the District Health Department, which shpuld take complete control. The relations between the Hospital Board and the Health Department were most amicable, .and thece was no overlapping. There were ..at present insufficient inspectors to do the wmrk. Eight or ten were required.