NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11430, 21 July 1900, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Is' the courso of a hysterical article headed " No Hal" Measures," Otis Land, the organ' of the Afrikander party, exclaims :—"We live in critical times. We have not the slightest doubt as to what will lie the ultimate issue, but the course of affairs in the near future undoubtedly lies in the balance. Woo to the faint-hearted, weighed at the moment of decision and found wanting ! The people and posterity will judge him with severity." The writer goes on to say that the time for half measures lias passed. Decision and wakeful firmness are demanded by the lime and the circumstances of the country. " If," says he, " The National Afrikander party now waver, if they are going to be satisfied with half measures, then it means nothing else than political suicide, and it will take long, and cost much sacrifice and toil, to bring them again to where they stand at present. .Experience has taught us over and over again that there is no salvation to be found for our party in half measures." Hod the Cape Parliament demanded the repeal of (lie Charter after the Jameson raid, the inquiry in England would, recording to Ons Land, have hud a tot-illy different result. "Our friends in England looked with longing eyes to our Parliament, and particularly to the attitude of the Afrikander party, and when they found that we, who were the most nearly concerned in the matter, did not directly demand the repeal of the Charter, it could hardly be expected of them that they would go farther than we." Ons Land holds (his accountable for the present state of the colony, and declares » " The evil must bo exterminated root and branch, otherwise it will spread further, like East Indian qt itch grass." The paper submits another principle to be continually borne in mindthat everything in connection with the war must be regarded and dealt with as a while. One matter cannot bo given prominence and another forgotten. All points must be treated with equal firmness. The writer, referring to the motion passed by the Natal Parliament favouring j annexation, says the Cape Parliament will ! have, to discuss a motion on the same matter. The will and the conviction of the, National Afrikander party, as expressed at the People's Congress.' and as it will he confirmed at the Bond Congress at Paarl. is that the Republics shall retain their independence inviolate. "The people," cries Ons Land, "are determined to work for this object, because it is mderstood that thereby alone can an enduring peace be wared for South Africa." In conclusion, the article deals with the treatment of the inhabitants of the border districts. It asks that they remain unpunished for their transgression of the law, because the borders were not protected by the Imperial Government, because the inhabitants were exposed to fearful temptation, and above nil, because many laboured under the impression that they must obey (lie de facto Government. Ons Land proceeds : "If. however, this cannot by any possibility be .".chief then we must fight out fie matter as one man as best we can, in our own Parliament."

11l America a determined attempt is being made to grapple with consumption, and, if possible, In eradicate it by the adoption of wise precautions based upon scientific principles. In Boston every physician must report every ease of consumption that comes to his notice to the Board of Health, as lie would any other case of contagious disease. After a death from this disease hereafter the premises will be entered by the Board of Health officers, and disinfection performed, and other means will be token to guard against the spread of the malady in Boston. These new rules havo just been issued by the Board of Health, and the plan is to enter upon a vigorous campaign against tuberculosis and stamp it out, if such a thing is possible. Massachusetts has taken the lead in grappling with the disease, and in 3898 provided a fund for the establishment of a State sanitarium for persons aflJietcd with it! New York has now followed the example, and during the past winter her Legislature appropriated money for a similar sanitarium. Other States where the disease is common will undoubtedly make- like provisions if the experiments in Massachusetts and New York prove successful, and in the course of a comparatively few years this dreaded scourge of that section of the union may be well nigh suppressed. The advocates of Governmental action for the eradication of consumption arc sanguine of good results. Tho Board of Health in New York City a few years ago issued a circular giving information concerning the treatment of tho disease, warning nurses and others against carelessness in handling the sputa of patients, and laying down rules for the disinfection of clothing and premises after deaths. .

As a result of those regulations it is stated there has been an apparent reduction of about 30 per cent, in the number of deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis in that, city since 1898. Although consumption does not frighten communities and produce panics like such infrequent pestilences as cholera or yellow fever, it is far mora disastrous to the Eastern States of the union than the yellow .fever is to the South. Boston has been a yearly sufferer from the disease, and Dr. Purlin, of the Board of Health, of the city, is quoted as saying: " Boston is one of the worst places on earth for consumption," The New York Post, in commenting upon the disease in that city and State, ms ; _" in 1899 there were, in the boroughs of' Manhattan and the Bronx, 8016 deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis, and 1559 from other tuberculous diseases. . The average life of patients with recognised tuberculous disease in this climate will probably not exceed three years. Some authorities place it at two years among the badly housed, ( ! underfed poor of New York. As many go I away to improve or die elsewhere, the New York death-rate indicates that we have between 20,000 and 25.000 well-defined cases of tuberculosis in Manhattan and the Bronx, and for these an average life not exceeding two years is statistically allowed. For tho State 45,000 to 50.000 cases would be a, conservative estimate." So far as the experiments have gone in the direction of adopting precautionary measures under the supervision of Boards* of Health the results have been encouraging. We have already cited the diminution of the disease following the enforcement of Board of Health regulations in New York, and in Boston equally good effects are claimed. Thus it is stated Iho deaths in that city from consumption have decreased from 1349 in 1895 to 1236 in 1899: Considering that comprehensive efforts to suppress the disease have hardly yet been nude, and that what regulations arc in forco have been applied but a short time, it is certainly encouraging to note so much of improvement as the statistics show. It may be, indeed, that in another generation consumption will be almost as rare as leprosy.

Probably the item in the news from China this morning that will be read with greatest interest is the statement made by Li Hung Chang that lie Indefinite news that the Legations were safe on the 3th tost. Though this statement only corroborates similar assertions made by other Viceroys the fact that it has ken made by China's leading statesman gives it additional Weight. But even coming from such a source too much importance must not be attached to it. It was Li Hung Chang who stated some weeks ago that the Ambassadors were returning with Admiral Seymour's force, and if his information was so erroneous on that occasion there is fortunately no good reason for believing it likely to be more correct now. He also states that the throne lias been memorialised by 11 Viceroys to protect foreign merchants and missionaries in the event of war, in order to preserve China's prestige as a civilised nation, but the throne is apparently powerless or unwilling to act, and will be less able and more unwilling should the Towers declare war against China. There is no military news this morn ing from South Africa, a fact which may be interpreted as indicating that important developments are in progress.