INFLUENZA ON MAKURA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17026, 6 December 1918, Page 6

INFLUENZA ON MAKURA

TOTAL OF 33 PATIENTS.

PASSENGERS DISEMBARK TO-DAY.

There is no improvement in respect to the outbreak of Influenza on board the Makura. Four fresh cases occurred yesterday, bringing tho total number of j.alients to 33. Two passengers are affected.

On account of the extremely inadequate landing arrangements at Moluihi, and tho fact that the wharf is being extensively used to unload equipment preparatory to disembarkation of tho New Zealand passengers from tho ship, the removal of the patients ashore lias been retarded. Last night four patients had to be left o.i board tho vessel, and they will bo transferred to the isolation quarters today. The work, of preparing tho old quarantine buildings, which have just been vacated by the German prisoners of war, ban progressed, and tho New Zealand passengers will be transferred from the ship to Motuihi to-day. The district health officer, Dr. T. J. Hughes, visited the Makura yesterday.

COALING THE VESSEL.

WATERSIDE WORKERS' PROTEST.

' A call was made at the waterside workers' waiting-room yesterday ! morning for men to coal the Makura at Motuihi. Only four men offered to start work. Subsequently a stop-work meeting was hold at 1 p.m. to consider tho attitude to bo adopted in regard to coaling the ship. The meeting was attended by about 700 members. The' following resolution was carried .— That this meeting enters an omphalic protest against the action of the Prime Minister in suggesting, or consenting to, the working of the cargo from the Makura or any other vessel while undergoing a period of quarantine; the meeting considers that tho ' call ' upon members to coal the vessel was wrong, and showed an utter disregard for the health of tho men and the public generally: that the return of the men to Auckland without undergoing a proper term of isolation will possiblv bo responsible for the reintroduce tion o! the disease into the city, more especially as reports show conclusively that proper isolation has not been arranged for, as illustrated by the rapid increase in the number of oasea on the Makura.

The meeting further decided that a deputation, consisting of the president, Mr. G. Weaver, the vice-president, Mr. O. Noakes, the secretary, Mr. H. Hillier, and Mossrs. 8 Riekards, O. T. Jones, and G. Farland, should wait upon the Mayor to place the protest before him. The resolution was ordered to be forwarded to the Prime Minister, the Minister for Public Health, the district members of Parliament, and the Waterside Workers' Federation.

The meeting resolved not to work the Makura until she is declared a clean ship and berthed alongside- tho wharf, and until satisfactory terras, conditions, and period of isolation are settled. The deputation from the union after, wards waited on the Mayor, who advised the men to work in accordance with Dr. Frengley's suggestion! The Mayor >aid it was perfectly reasonable, provided the men were given guarantees against iu(ec tion. It was a minimum^ of risk that would be undertaken in coaling the vessel and discharging cargo. If arrangements could bo made whereby public interests wero protected and reasonable terms were given to* the members of the union in regard to the work thoy \»ere asked to perform, there was no reason, in his opinion, why the Auckland cargo should not be discharged into a hulk bore.