2020: DAY 11
THE BUBONIC PLAGUE.
ALTERING THE QUARANTINED AREA.
YESTERDAY'S CASES.
Yesterday's reports of cases of bubonic plague give the names of six individuals who have been unfortunate enough to contract the disease. Most of them have been removed to the quarantine hospital, while the persons who were in contact with them have been taken to the station adjoining. The names of the patients are as follows: …
PLAGUE PRECAUTIONS TO DATE PLAGUE PRECAUTIONS TO DATE.
At yesterday's meeting of the City Municipal Council the following report on plague precautions was read from the Town Clerk: - In response to your request for a brief statement as to what is being done in connection with the plague visitation, I have the honour to report: -
1. House-to-house Inspection. The system being followed is careful and thorough. As a commencement a large body of men were put on to disinfect the city generally. This having been done the city was divided into blocks, and these are being attacked systematically. Up to yesterday 1976 houses had been carefully examined and 240 notices had been issued upon the tenants or owners to cleanse or do what was necessary to put them into order, the majority of which are being obeyed. In cases of non-compliance picked men are engaged in doing what is necessary, and their orders are to do it quietly and with as little offence as possible. Our chief difficulty was to obtain the right class of men to do this house-to house work, as supplies had to be drawn from the casual labour class, and one ganger and 50 men had to be dispensed with as unfit.
2. Houses. Unfit for Human Habitation -From recent remarks in a section of the press it would appear to the casual observer that nothing had been done towards the demolition of unsanitary dwellings, and it is well, therefore, to note that during your Mayoralty alone you have condemned 144 buildings, the owners of which by law are allowed certain opportunities to place them in good order, and of this number only 11 remain. On account of your action in this direction 78 dwellings were repaired under our supervision, and many others were repaired to escape visitation. The correspondence, &c., anent your proceedings at that time show the hubbub that ensued upon your actlon and although at the time of popular clamour like the present it is easy for persons, for the most part irresponsible, to talk about what should be done, were they in the position of having to do it in normal times they would better realise the enormous difficulties that beset a man daring to interfere with "the sacred right of property." In this connection I may mention that the Board of Health has forwarded a list of dwellings situated in the locality lately quarantined, and which, in their opinion, should be condemned. We shall, of course, proceed to secure their demolition, but with the reports of our officers who have inspected these places before me I doubt very much whether a magistrate will be found to condemn the majority of them.
3. Noxious Foods -The activity in house inspection has not been allowed to interfere with the usual supervision of foods in the city. From March 9 to 21 (under old regime) there were condemned: - 443 boxes cod, 79 barrels salmon, 300 pairs rabbits , and from March 22 to 31 our officers condemned: - 5 hams, 269 sides of bacon, 29 pieces of bacon, 145 barrels of salmon, 255 cases of cod fish, 276 pairs rabbits, 21 cases dried apples, 19 cases canned fruits, 6 tons preserved tomatoes. It will be satisfactory for you to learn that a very searching examination was made without warning at Belmore (commonly known as "Paddy's") Market, and all the foods exposed for sale were found to be thoroughly good, and not one article was condemned. In all the operations enumerated I have had most valuable and unselfish assistance from the city health officer, who has placed his services at my disposal early and late, and from Sunday morning until Saturday night, and I desire here-in to record my appreciation.
4. The Moore Park Tip. -This has not yet been closed, as the Government has not been able to complete arrangements to send our refuse to sea but special care has been taken to prevent ingress or egress excepting by those employed therein. Watchmen are there day and night; and lest cows should be placed there without leave, poisoned hay Iies there as the only means to effectually deal with this nuisance. Tenders have been called (to close to-day) for covering the tip with sand, but meantime I would invite any persons who may be alarmed about the character of the place to visit it and see for themselves, and it will certainly not obtrude itself upon their notice by reason of any offence whether of odour or appearance. Définite statements have been made that rats abound there; but although we had men there for davs, and the Health Board had a ratter there also, not one rat could be caught or even seen. Also, we had poisoned fish and other foods to tempt them, but not one nibble was taken from them. It is fair, therefore, to declare that these statements are incorrect
5. Alleged Cheeseparing: - In our view of economies effected during the last year or two it has become the fashion for some to attribute present troubles to that source, and to sneer at the cheeseparing policy alleged to have been pursued. What are the facts? On the sanitary department more was expended last year than was the case for some years previously, and in any system of economy that I can trace this department was left severely alone. Possibly, the city cleansing was connected in the minds of the critics with this department, and although it is true that the cost of cleaning our streets has been reduced from over £40,003 a year to £.29,000 a year at the present time, tenders have been received from reputable persons offering, in addition to cleansing our streets, to burn the refuse also (involving a capital outlay of £50,000) for the amount it now costs us for bare cleansing. On the face of these facts, no one will dare to repeat that jibe. Probably had we been able to work in with the Board of Health our results would have been better : but although acting on your explicit instructions, I have during my few months of office striven my utmost to co-operate with the president of that body, I have found it impossible to do so. Meantime our own organisation has been vastly improved, and I can confidently say that future results will be satisfactory.
6. Quarantined Areas. - What is going on there I do not know : but I intend to later deal with the statements that have appeared, some of which are palpable exaggerations. For instance, the lane (which you yourself saw a few days before it was quarantined), and out of which it was claimed that 85 tons of filth were taken. Picture to yourself the size of that area, and 86 of our scavenging carts full of any material coming therefrom. Even with the "spoils" there (clean debris) from a recently demolished stable such a statement is difficult of credence. No doubt good work is being done, as indeed it should be with the whole area closed to traffic and a lavish expenditure going on. I shall have more to say on this when all is over. There are defects in our wharf areas, and of a very grave nature, but they should not be new to anyone, as they have been brought before the public on many occasions. For instance there are earth closets and many of them in the city which cost the council hundreds per annum to attend to, but they are all in low-lying portions of the city, and can only be remedied by the addition of pumping stations to the sewer system. This obligation lies with the Government, who have been urged over and over again to proceed with it, but are only now doing so. Underneath the wharfs silt and sewerage have been accumulating for many years, the obligation of removing which lies also at the door of a Government department. It is the fashion just now to rail at the Council, but the swing of the pendulum will place the public in a position to judge. The city, because of its peculiar configurations and faults of original laying out, and because of the great traffic, will in some localities always present a hovel appearance, and thoroughly as these portions may be cleansed to-day they will be equally bad a few months hence. Meantime how many cases of plague have occurred in these slums which we we hear so much about ? I have good grounds for my scepticism as to many statements, which will be in due time be placed before you.
