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Mr. SHARP. Supposing there was a case in which the Sanitary Board carried a resolution, with which you as President of the Board disagreed; if the Medical Officer of Health were under the Principal Civil Medical Officer you might afterwards as Principal Civil Medical Officer override the resolution by ordering the Medical Officer of Health to carry out the particular matter concerned in the resolution as you con- sidered right?
Dr. ATKINSON.-I do not see that the occasion would arise. As President of the Board I should not do this. The only question would be when the Department is short- handed and I might say to him "I want you to assist somewhere else," of course this would only occur very exceptionally.
Dr. STEDMAN He has never had any time to spare. The Department has been so busy.
Dr. ATKINSON.-His time has been and is now fully occupied.
Dr. ATKINSON.-The Health Officer holds an anomalous position because he is an executive officer of the Board and also a member of that Board. He practically carries out all the work which the Board advises, yet he is himself a member of the Board!
The Chairman. The present Health Officer is to a certain extent independent of the Principal Civil Medical Officer of the Colony.
Dr. ATKINSON.---Independent, in what way?
The Chairman.-That is what I want to find out. Is he, in any way
?
Dr. ATKINSON. His duties are definite, as an Assistant Surgeon in the Medical Department he is under the Principal Civil Medical Officer, but he was, as I have said before, seconded to the Sanitary Board for special work, and in the position of Medical Officer of Health for the Town he is not under the Principal Civil Medical Officer.
Dr. STEDMAN.-I think the Sanitary Board ought to be entirely separate from the Medical Department, and the Medical Officer of Health ought to be responsible only to the Sanitary Board.
The Chairman. Do you agree with that, Dr. ATKINSON?
Dr. ATKINSON.-I think it would be better if all the Medical Officers were under the Head of the Medical Department. The Health Officer of the Port is now under the Principal Civil Medical Officer. It has been so as long as I have had any knowledge of the Colony.
Dr. STEDMAN-Because when that appointment was created there was no Sani- tary Board. Is that not so?
Dr. ATKINSON. —Yes, the Sanitary Board has been in existence since 18×3.
The Chairman.-I take it that at present the Medical Officer of Health for the Town has plenty to do?
Dr. ATKINSON.-Yes, quite enough.
Dr. STEDMAN. He has just got an assistant.
The Chairman. But Dr. CLARK is going away.
The Chairman.-If the additional Health Officer of the Port lived at Kowloon could he do the duties of that district in addition to the work afloat?
Dr. ATKINSON.-He might be able to do it, but it is not what I should advise, There might be delay, and objection might again be raised by the Chamber of Com-
merce.