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64
would be well if a similar provision were included in
the Code issued by the Education Department. At
present the only inducement which can be offered to
teachers of voluntary schools to notify cases, is the recoupment
for absence from school of children excluded
by the sanitary authority. Except children be so excluded,
or the school be closed by order of the authority,
the grants are paid on the actual average attendance,
which, in an epidemic year such as 1898, would be very
materially diminished. If the children be excluded in
consequence of the order from the authority, four-fifths
of the attendances so missed can be counted in for the
purpose of increasing the average of the year.
The information collected during the epidemic is
tabulated in Tables 20.22. It should be noted that
the school holidays commenced with the last week in
July, since which date the parish appears to have
been practically free from the disease.

Not only were the cases of this disease considerably
fewer last year than in 1897, but the fatality of the
attacks was much lighter. The 8 deaths were just
one-half the corrected decennial average, and compare
well with the quinquennial averages, 13 and 20