THE DARWIN INQUIRY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12010, 12 March 1920, Page 5

THE DARWIN INQUIRY.

United Press Association—By .Electric Telegranh-r-Oopyright. ■Melbourne, March 11. At the Northern, Territory inquiry, Mr Mahon, formerly Minister of External Affairs, gave evidence that Dr Gilruth was a strong man. He was rather impetuous and liked his own way. Dr Gilruth was an anachronism: an impulsive Scotsman. When Mr Mahon entered office he was biased against Dr Gilruth, but, under experience, regarded him as a very good officer. Mr Morley submitted that the canse of the administrator’s unpopularity was his desire to carry out sanitary reforms, which the people resisted. Received March 12, 0 a.m. Melbourne, March 12 Before the Territory Commission Dr. Holmes described the Chinese quarter at Darwin as worse than the black quarters in Capetown. Hons-,, ing conditions were so deplorable that 30 per cent of the Chinese death rate was due to tuberculosis, and the whole conditions were such as would bring the diseases of the East within reach of Darwin. The town became overrun with the yellow fever mosquito, and disaster was a weekly possibility. Eventually in default of the local authority taking actioq, the Administrator demolished the houses and covered the drinking wells, and also repatriated a number of Chinese, after which the mosquitos disappeared.