SYDNEY AND THE EPIDEMIC

Otago Witness, Issue 3380, 25 December 1918, Page 23

SYDNEY AND THE EPIDEMIC

NEW ZEALAND LETTERS "QUARANTINED." HOW THE ARAWA GOT AWAY. Mr John Keith, of Wellington, who returned by* the Arawa from a holiday spent in Australia, has a good deal to say ot interest concerning that closed book —Australia, the epidemic, and the trials of New Zealanders who were endeavouring to find means iof getting home against great odds (says the Dominion). Mr Keith, who was in Australia two months ago, said that daily he used to scan the papers for New Zealand news, with no result. The first New Zealand item that he remembered having seen was the news that Sasanof had won the New Zealand Cup«-| Then came the epidemic—and the papers published columns and columns of it. It took precedence of everything else, not o.nly in the papers, but the biggest and blackest letters on the posters referred to the epidemic and tho number of deaths that were occurring until it had all Ne.w Zealanders jumping with apprehension, as they knew nothing as to what was occurring to those nearest and dearest to-them. The Moeraki arrived and the Riverina arrived in Sydney, but, strange to say, no one appeared to be getting any letters. Inquiries were made, and it was found that all letters and newspapers were being quarantined for seven days before being delivered. Then some of them had to resort to cabling to get the assurances they desired, as from the papers it only could be gathered that the population was being pretty well wiped out. Ihere was at once a rush to get back, and the Moeraki was very quickly booked up ; but when it came' to sailing day they were informed that the crew would not work the ship back to New Zealand. "We sat on the Union Company s doorstep for a fortnight—dozens of us,—waiting and hor.ing to get away," said Mr Keith. "They tried to make the men see reason, but it was no .good. Captain Collins laughingly said that he could easily get a "crew, but the v .'"wanted £SO a man for the trip to New Zealand and back. It was a sad sight to see tl em taking away thousands of cases of fruit from the Moeraki at the Sydney wharf—the fruit that you wanted so badly here. There were a lot of very heart-break-ing episodes among the New Zealanders penned up in Sydney. One day I met Victor Casey, the Auckland bowler, and ho had received a cable message advising him of his father's death. I met him again the following day, and he had just heard of his brother's death. On the third day I met him his mother was dangerously ill. She died later. Mr Casey was in despair at not being able to get away, and at last shipped as Purser of the Inga, ' a steamer which was leaving for Wanganui. We were all yery sorry for him, as all bowlers will be. I also met Mr S. Williams, of Taranaki street, Wellington, soon after he had received the news of the death of his son. " WHERE'S THE NEAREST PAWNBROKER." "As time went on and all had long overstayed their leave, some of us began to run short of money. There was no one worrying, as it only meant a cablegram to the bank here, but our peace of mmd was a little disturbed when we received news that the banks here "Were closed. Anyhow, we interviewed the Sydney bamcers, and they treated us grandly—anything we liked. About this time some of us met Mr Mitchell (of Mitchell and King, contractors), and I was detailed to put a question to him. "Where's the nearest pawnbroker.' " Mr Mitchell looked up queerly—- ' Pawnbroker—what wud ye want wi' a pawnbroker?' "Oh, well, you know we ve outstayed our time here owing to the steamers not sailing, and we'll have to raise a few shillings to keep going!" 1 "Out came Mitchell's cheque book in an instant—man, it was good to see how kind and generous ho wished to be to the stranded Wellingtonians. It all ended in a good laugh." THE ARAWA EPISODE. "Then came the Arawa. It became known that she was leaving for New Zealand with passengers, and down we went to find that word had been received not to take passengers. We tried all we knew, but without avail. Then we decided, in our despair, to cable the Prime Minister to see if he could arrange it, as a message had been received from, him stating that matters were almost normal over nere. We were at last able to book by the steamer, and joyfully went up town to cancel our bookings and get a refund of cur passage money. This we managed to do, and eventually got our bags down to the Arawa, glad to be at last on the home track. We got our stuff safely on board, when wo were appalled to hear that the Arawa's crew had struck, and there was not tho remotest chance of the vessel getting away for some time. What could we do in such circumstances? We had to put the best face we could on it, and return to the Union Company's office. There we asked to be pencilled in on the Moeraki's list again. The clerk at first demurred, so we interviewed the manager, who, realising the nosition, gave instructions that we were to be allowed to rebook. Twelve of the crew of the Arawa wero arrested and brought before the court that same afternoon, fined or given 28 days' hard labour. They were put in gaol that night, and the next morning were asked whether they wero going to do their time or go aboard their ship to do their work. They decided to go on board and do their duty like men.

So once more we hied to the Union Steam Ship Company's office to cancel our bookings, and on we came to Auckland on the Arawa. TAKING TEMPERATURES.

" When we were two days out from Auckland a wireless message was received for the temperatures of all on board to be taken. Dr Garcia Webster, of- Wellington, at once got to work and took the temperatures of those on board. All wero normal. There were a couple of cases of tonsilitis, but nothing to speak of. What was our amazement, then, on reaching Auckland to learn that we wero being quarantined! We were a clean ship—it was ridiculous!

"In Sydney the authorities are on tho alert to prevent any infection spreading to the city. You know how close the quarantine station is to Manly—only a few hundred yards —and yet they have penned it up there. The Now South Wales Government wanted to shift tho quarantine ground to Jervis Bay, 70 miles away, but the Federal Government (which controls health matters) would not agree to it. Vessels go so close to those in quarantine that papers and parcels were being thrown on board the vessels at anchor until the practice was stopped by the authorities. Still mistakes were being made there as well as here. Three military officers are said to have come ashore in Wellington from the Medio. When the vessel arrived in quarantine in Sydney she had 100 cases on board. Tnsteady of placing them on shore, they were allowed to remain on board, with the result that within a week the number of cases had increased to 240. They all declared that these cases arose through the three officers coming ashore in Wellington. "The medical authorities of Sydney are pinning their faith to inoculation and inhalation; and chambers were established all over the city, and were being rushed by thousands every day."