43
D.—3
Enclosure in No. 69. Immigeation Commissionebs' Eepoet on Ship "Clarence." Sic,— Immigration Commissioners' Office, Napier, 10th January, 1875. I have the honor to inform you that the "Clarence," Captain Emmett, arrived on the sth instant. The Commissioners have tho painful duty to report that twenty-six deaths occurred during the voyage, principally from diarrhoea, but after a careful inquiry, can arrive at no other conclusion than that every attention and care was exercised by Dr. Murphy in endeavouring to mitigate the malady. At the same time the Commissioners desire to express their regret that' tho authorities at home did not take some precautionary means towards providing for the change of diet of such people as those that came from Shetland, whose principal food is fish. In the case of Scandinavians being transmitted, a very large quantity of fish is put on board, which to a great degree obviates a complete change of diet, as has been in the case of the Shetland people now arrived. The Commissioners, in accordance with instructions, examined tho ship and provisions, and found the ship very clean, andj provisions of a thoroughly satisfactory nature. After the immigrants were landed, a rumour got in circulation that the water had been bad, which, coming to the Commissioners' ears, they at once instituted an investigation, but could not ascertain where it arose; the immigrants all expressing themselves again perfectly satisfied with the provisions, &c, they had received, also with the treatment accorded to them by the officers of the ship. I have, &c, G. Thos. Fannin, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Secretary to Commissioners.
No. 70. The Hon. H. A. Atkinson to the Agent-Geneeal. (No. 39.) Sic, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 15th February, 1875. I have the honor to transmit copies of the following documents relating to the ship " Dilharree," which arrived at Auckland upon the 16th ultimo: — 1. Eeport of the Immigration Commissioners. 2. Letter from the Surgeon, calling attention to the case of an immigrant suffering from phthisis. 3. Certified list of births and deaths during the passage. 4. Memorandum from the Immigration Officer as to forwarding certain of the immigrants to other provinces. I have to call your attention to the remarks of the Commissioners in their report upon the insufficiency of the medical examination of the emigrants. As, however, upon this subject my predecessor addressed you at length in his letter No. 181, of the 29th June, 1874, relative to the ship " Scimitar," and generally in much of the correspondence about that date, and as no doubt his instructions have already been given effect to, I will not enter upon the question further than to say that it appears clear to me that the surgeon-superintendent, upon whom the care of the emigrants during the voyage devolves, should have, and should in all cases strictly exercise, the power of rejecting all persons he may deem unfit. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. H. A. Atkinson.
Enclosure in No. 70. Immigeation Commissionebs' Eepoet on Ship " Dilharree." Sic, — Immigration Office, Auckland, 19th January, 1875. We have the honor to report the arrival of the " Dilharree" on the lGth instant, with 375 Government immigrants on board. The ship sailed from London on the 2nd of October, and consequently the voyage extended over 105 days. The immigrants, with a few exceptions, arrived in good health, and all expressed themselves satisfied with the treatment they had received. The surgeon-superintendent reports nine deaths upon the voyage, namely, one male adult and eight children. The former was a married man, aged twentyfive years, of acute rheumatism, and the children's ages were from six weeks to three years, the cause of death being chiefly diarrhoea. There were three births. Dr. Forbes states that no infectious disease appeared among the immigrants since they left England. A case of typhoid fever was reported, that of a male adult aged thirty-three, since partially convalescent, but who has been sent in the meantime for further medical treatment to the Provincial Hospital. A married man named A C , aged thirty, having a wife and two children, appears to be in a confirmed state of consumption. From inquiries made of Dr. Forbes, it would seem to be doubtful where the responsibility lies with respect to the proper medical examination of the immigrants prior to embarkation. The certificates of health, which are supposed to guarantee the soundness of constitution of the respective applicants for a free passage, are not, Dr. Forbes states, to his knowledge, usually tested by close individual examination of the immigrants, either on the part of the Government Inspector or by the surgeon-superintendent of the ship. The latter, it would seem, in most instances has not an adequate opportunity for thoroughly acquainting himself with the true state of health of the immigrants before the sailing of the
Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.
By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.
Your session has expired.