The Star. MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1927. A MISTAKEN POLICY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18062, 24 January 1927, Page 6

The Star. MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1927. A MISTAKEN POLICY.

It is questionable whether the Minister of Health and officers of the Health Department are doing New Zealand a good service in persistently seeking to discount the gravity of the influenza epidemic in Europe. A week or two ago the Health Department blandly announced that the European visitation was “somewhat more severe than New Zealand experienced last winter,” and now the Minister of Health announces that “the type of disease is mild. ’ Nothing could he more uselessly misleading. Every cablegram from Europe has been a 'record of increasing virulence on the part of the epidemic, and the League of Nations bulletin ten days ago showed that the disease had spread into Spain, Greece, Rumania and other countries not up till then affected, and was “ raging with particular severity in Egypt.” On January 16 Spain, the home of pneumonic influenza, reported that the incidence of influenza had increased alarmingly in one day, that the epidemic was “ the worst ever known,” with a heavy death roll. It is interesting enough to learn from Sir James Parr that Austria and the Irish Free State have not been attacked, and possibly it is because they have taken adequate quarantine precautions. That is the direction in which New Zealand should act, and it is simply futile to make light of the epidemic. The more the public fear influenza, the safer they will be, and the Minister of Health should be quick to encourage the public to take precautions against a disease which is transmitted directly from person to person by coughing, sneezing and talking, and indirectly even by handshaking. Instructions have been issued to port health officers to conduct a rigid examination of overseas vessels with a view to preventing the introduction of the disease, and it is to he hoped that on no consideration will vigilance he relaxed until the danger of an epidemic is past. Undue importance must not be paid to reports that the disease is diminishing in Europe. Influenza has a habit of travelling slowly from country to country, and New Zealand may encounter a wave at any time between now and the winter. The danger is so real that no precautions could he too drastic to protect New Zealand, and it might be advisable to give the port health officers the assistance of the district health officers in the work of examining overseas passengers. Medical examination aboard incoming ships is a bit of a farce at present, and experience has shown that, ordinarily, it is not effective in shutting out disease. When a dangerous epidemic is devastating. Europe, the utmost vigilance is called for, and that is the spirit in which, flic public hope, the Health Department will face its responsibilities.

Starting on Saturday to lay a two-course asphaltic concrete pavement On Riccarton Road, in continuation of the splendid surface that already runs through Sockburn, die contractors hope to finish the work in time for the Duke of York to travel over it on his way to (He Royal race meeting at Riccarton. r lhere is something very inspiring in die speed with which new road construction can he carried out, and the local body concerned is to be congratulated on liming this work to coincide with the Duke’s visit. We could wish that the Duke could find such roads wherever he goes in Canterbury. The Main Highways scheme ijas been played with for a year or two and, instead of good roads, Canterbury has some of the worst roads in New Zealand. It is too late to suggest that die whole Riccarton Road should he finished in time for the Royal visit, but there is no reason why the very necessary work of reconstruction should he considered in relation to what others may think of us. The local bodies of Canterbury owe it to their own public, particularly lo the motorists who arc so heavily taxed for road maintenance, lo provide good roads in every direction. Perhaps the most gratifying filing about the activities of the Paparua County Council is the fact that, once the public are shown what a real, modern road surface is like, they will not be content to sit down any longer and tolerate the present uneven surfaces that go under the name of main highways.