MEDICAL INSPECTION OF STEAMERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7258, 21 February 1885, Page 6

MEDICAL INSPECTION OF STEAMERS.

In the course of an interview which Mr. MoKellar, Acting Inspector of Customs, and Mr. Hill, Inspector at Auckland, had with Sir Julius Vogel on Thursday, the latter drew attention to the statements in an artiole in the Hkbald as to the delay which took place in the medical inspection of the Wairarapa on her last trip. Mr. McKellar communicated with Dr. Fhileon, who yesterday waited on Sir Julius Vogel, and presented the following letter:— ' "T. M. Philson, E*q., M.D.—Deaf" Sir,—l have much pleasure in stating that during the time the regulations u to. examination of our steamers has been in force, von have promptly visited the vessels, and that there his been no detention of anv moment, with thr exception of last trip of the Wairarapa, when through an error in our advising you of the time of her arrival, a delay of not more than one aad a quarter hours occurred. I wa* sorry to see the article in the h kiuld, wheh I think was quite uncalled for.—Yours truly, Thos, Henderkon, jnr.— 20th *'ebraj.ry, 1885. We may say that the case of the Wairarspa is not the only one respecting which we have been spoken to, but we rested the complaint upon her case, as it was the latest and the worst. It will be seen that the Union Company relieve Dr. Phil&on from any blame. In our artiole we took care to avoid apportioning blame, not knowing exactly where it ought to fall. < But when a steamer arrives crowded with passengers, there ought to be no delay in the medical examination,. And if inexcusable delay occurs, we do not see that a remonstrance on our part, expressing the grievances of the passengers and their friends, is "uncalled for." •