THURSDAY ISLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19206, 24 June 1924, Page 4

THURSDAY ISLAND.

A suggestion lias been made from timt to time that Uio Commonwealth should tain over the administration of. Thursday Island from the Queensland Government. It may be doubted (.says the Melbourne Age) whether a mere administrative change would solve tho irtcial and social problems at Thursday Island; certainly the Federal Government would be adding to its own difficulties. Wilting in liie latest bulletin of th« Federal Department of Health, Dr A. J. Metcalfe, who has been quarantine officer.at the island, states that hospital records and. the death register prove tint the place, is one of the healthiest pants of Australia, although it is the nearest part of the continent to the equator. Tne population is about 1500—10 U whites, 00!) Japanese, 300 Papuans, and tho rest Malays, Filipinos, aboriginals, Torres Strait islanders, Chinese, Indians, and other types. I’earJ shell is tho chief product; bectio do nier and trochus shell are also exported. Housing is unsatisfactory; wood is subject to the ravages of dry rot, borers, and white ants. The Japanese live in large boarding-houses hept by their countrymen. A largo part of the food, consists of'tinned atufis; the coloured people live on fish, flour, rice, .and bread. During tho wet season, when, tho pearling fleet is laid up arid 1003 coloured men have little or nothing to do, prostitution presents an acute problem, apart from venereal disease. Except for the industrial disease known as beri-beri, there is. little sickness of local origin. Pulmonary tuberculosis caused 43 deaths in eight years i the main factors causing this high incidence were bad housing, food, ignorance, clothing and racial susceptibility. Fresh fruit and vegetables are almost prohibitive in price, and many people live on a diet bordering on starvation, as far as “vitamines” are concerned. Patients move about without precautions. Being the first pout of call for vessels from Japan, China, and Java, Thursday Island, i.s_ of prime importance as a quarantine station, and there is now a two-ward hospital with large tent accommodation.