MINISTER'S EVIDENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17109, 14 March 1919, Page 6

MINISTER'S EVIDENCE.

WITNESS BEFORE COMMISSION CLEARING OF THE NIAGARA. AUCKLAND ORGANISATION. "WORK BEYOND ALL PRAISE." [BY , roEQK,U , H.>-r-R]SSS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. Evidence was given by tho Minister tor Public HeaJih, tho Hon. G. W. Russell, ' to-day, before the Influent Epidemic Commission. At the outset ho announced the number of portfolios and appoint-; menU he held in order to emphasise the tact that tho Public Health Department ww of such tremendous importance that the Minister in charge should not be weighted with eq many other offices. Mr, Russell said that since (the outbreak of war tho oorrespondenco of the Department of Internal Affairs had increased fourteenfold. Ho had all tho matter of granting passports iu hand, and was in charge of patriotic funds. Ha fiad been able to devote only one-fourth of his time to public health. Until 1909 there were two beparoto heads of the Health Department, mid as » result there were two scientific men, one devoting his time to the health of the Dominion, and the other to the caro of the various institutions. In 190£ the positions were united, This in his opinion was false economy. The people of Nov? Zealand were not willing to pay for i wins. They needed educating up to the idea that specially cjuaiii}ed men could be obtained only by paying adequate remuneration, Ho found that scientific men in. the service were performing services which could bo dealt with by competent laymen- As a result, these officers had not the necessary time for study and research. As an instance, Mr. Russell mentioned the case of (he Deputy-Chief Health Officer, who was chairman of the Plumbers' Registration Board, in addilion,' This officer, who was an export, had to devote a good deal of his time to the supervision of plans for now hospjtal buildings.

Reorganisation Delayed. Mr. Russell stated last April he gave instructions for the division of 'the Department into two. s.ectipiis-<-scientific and mechanical. Ho also projected a, scheme. for increasing the number of health district*?, aa at present they wero too nnwioldy to he dealt with by four officers. He considered tliero should be an inspector-genera} of hospitals and another officer styled the thief health officer, Every five years officers should be given an opportunity to visit other countries to keep abreast of modern methods. The Government would have to foot the bill. When the epidemic came, the chief health officer was, with the Defence Department and Dr. R. JL Makgill was absent with the forces, The Department had sacrificed itself to help to win the war. "I feel it my duty to myself," said the Minister, " to say that no warning was given me as Minister for Health that it was necessary for New Zealand to take step to prepare for the possible inroads of the epidemic." He received a letter from the Seamen's Union on September 27, calling attention to serious outbreaks of influenza on ships. Five days before the Niagara's arrival this letter was referred to Dr. Watt for a report. Dr, Watt replied that the proposed, isolation of ships at ports where the disease existed would involve holding up every ehip in every New Zealand port until the epidemic ran its course. "This very drastic course," said the report, "is impracticable, and is hardly called for in a , world-wide epidemic of what was after I all common influenza."

Two Leaders on Niagara. Detailing the steps taken in connection with the fljngwa, Mr, Russell said he told the Governor-General that influenza was not a notifiable disease, so that the ship could not be quarantined because she had influenaa aboard, bnt if it were necessary, on account of the state of passenger to Quarantine; tha ship a proclamation authorising finch a step would have to be signed immediately. Hia Excellency concurred, but said he would regret being compelled to do it. The plain position! of the matter was that the two leaders of the Government were on the ship. He telegraphed to them expressing rcgnt if thero should bo any delay in their landing, and stating what he had learned in regard to deaths among the crew, and also that inquiries, were being made to ascertain if the disease was. pure «v fluenza and hoping the answers would he ■ satisfactory- In reply to his inquiry, the j district health officer at Auckland, Dr. X. IJ. Hughes, telegraphed stating there lad been one death on the vessel from bron-cho-pneumonia following influenza, ilwt the disease was simple influenza, and thii there were only two passengers for New Zealand on the vessel suffering from the disease, "Then," continued Mr. Ucssell, "I sent Instructions that the ship might be cleared." The Minister then quoted statements from the Auckland papers as to the existence of the epidemic before the Niagara arrived. The chairman, Sir John Donniston, said the commissiop had taken direct evidence and he refused to admit newspaper stitemente. Ho added that there was no doubt that sporadic influenza existed, but the doubt was whether the subsequent virulent form was a. separate visitation or directly following from tie milder type.

Telegram to Mr. Gunson. Discussing the powers of local authorities, under the law before and after the amending Act of last year, the Minister submitted to the commission a series of articles which appeared in the Auckland newspapers showing there were _ dirty slums in that city when the epidemic was raging. These extracts, he said, were tho foundation and, lie clijimeq, the justification of the telegram, which he sent to the Mayor of Auckland, to which telegram so much exception had been taken. Tho chairman reserved, in the meantime, the question whether these extracts were admissible as evidence. The Minister then asked whether, in the event of tho printed matter being ruled out, the reporters who wrote the matter should be summoned before the commission to give ovidence. This the chairman said could not be done. The general question of the admhsibility of all _ this matter was discussed by the commission in committee. When the commission resumed, tho Minister said he based his statements in the telegram to the Mayor of Auckland on information conveyed to him in Auckland and on articles appearing in the Auckland papers. So much was he impressed with tho seriousness of things in Auckland that he despatched Dr. Frepgley to Auckland at a few hours' notice, and a day or two afterwards wont to Auckland himself. From what he saw there ho was satisfied that the organisation developed by tho Mayor and the cjtjsens was very efficient. The work of the Mayor and his committees was beyond all praise. _ He wished to say this os a matter of justice. The Minister said it was easy to be wise after ovegts, and he would be a foolish Minister for Public Health who would not have learned some lessons from the experience of the epidemic. Request for Quarantine Stations. There were at tho time of the outbreak no quarantine stations at Auckland, Wellington or Port Chalmers as all these places were occupied by the Defence Department. Quail Island at Lyttelton had for many years been used as a leper station and the building there were useless for quarantine. At the time of the arrival of tho Makura the passengers- could have been quarantined only on the ship, and this would have constituted a danger of! the most-dreadful type. On November 6! the actingTcbief health officer recommended' that tho Defence Department should' be asked to vacate the quarantine stations.

He at once conveyed this reiwmjnendstion to the Minister {or Defence with an Wgont reqne§t that it should receivo prompt attention.

As to the control of the organisations to light the sickness, thorp, was a difference of opinion between himself and the chief health officer. Dr. Valintino thought the best authority to control them was the Hospital Board. This might be so if the epidemic was of limited extent, but in the event of a visitation like that of last year, it would be necessary to call in the aid of the local governing bodies to develop a proper organisation. One of the things revealed by the epidemic experience was the dreadful Jack, of knowledge of home-nursing. He thought tho Government would have to subsidise the St. John Ambulance Associ* atioiiß to assist in the, instruction of people in this work. The Women's National! Heserve also was interested in this matter,; and was. arranging for lectures. One of the first necessities of the country for the future would bo the establishment of a BUto medical service. Ho referred to the bursaries scheme and the requirement that students on graduation should servo a* house surgeons in hospitals. Indeed, ho would almost be inclined to suggest to the university authorities that a term of service in hospital should bo a necessary com* element to a graduation course. Kxparionce in hospital work, was necessary to young men about to enter practice. The Minister said ha. was not in favour of the Makura being quarantined in the circumstances as they then were. Mr. Massey received a telegram from the press delegates on the ship, and he agreed that it would bo dangerous to tho passengers to keep them on the ship in quarantine. Dr. Valintine was given authority to release tho ship from quarantine if he thought fit, and with Jus decision to do so the Minister wished to associate- himself.

Mr. Russell referred to thjo good work done by the medical men in the fight with the epidemic. The question of supplies of medicine in the event of a recrudescence was under consideration. Hospital boards were being asked to forward statements of the quantities of medicine and influenza remedies which they had in hand. HAMILTON PRECAUTIONS. ! GUARDING AGAINST RETURN, MAORIS AND THE REGATTA. [n jEiEORArn.-r-owN CORBESPONppi.] - i _ HAMILTON, Thursday. The epidemic wag discussed at a meeting of the Waikato Hospital Board held to-day. Reference was made to the possi. bijity of a return of the epidemic, and the health officer was instructed to proceed with a system of organisation in case an outbreak should occur. The inspector said that four capes had been reported In one family in tlu> country, and a man had died at Xgaruawahia from the* disease a short while ago. He said that his idea was to meet the various local bodies and draw up a tentative scheme of organisation so as to be ready should the outbreak return. The board also discussed the advisability of allowing largo numbers of natives to congregate at the Ngaruawahia regatta on Monday, and it was resolved to urge the Minister for Public Health to prohibit the gathering in view of grave danger that existed, no matter what precautions might be taken.