185 (38)
337. It will be noticed that in order to place the Heads of the Sub-Divisions of the Department on an equality, we recommend the same rate of pay for the Secretary, Medical Officer of Health, Executive Engineer, and Colonial Veterinary Surgeon.
338. The general principle which has guided us in drawing out this scheme. is that there have in the past been too large a number of Inspectors and subordinate officers of the Department, we may say an unnecessarily large number, and not sufficient senior and qualified officers to give proper supervision to their work. Under the system of Senior and District Inspectors, a good deal of work was done twice over, but by a proper systematising of the duties of the various members of the Staff, the work cau be done by a smaller number of men.
339. The Senior Inspector system has we consider proved a failure. These men have not as a body proved themselves reliable, while a good deal of friction has unquestionably arisen between them and their immediate subordinates, the District Inspectors.
340. We consider a far better result would be attained were each District to be under the control of one man, who will deal direct with the Secretary, the Medical Officer of Health, or Executive Engineer, as the case may be; the last two of whom, with their assistants, will be able to regularly visit their District Offices and advise the Inspectors as may be found necessary.
341. All reports from the District Inspectors to be sent direct to the Secretary and to be opened either by him, or by the Assistant Secretary, who will pass on such papers as may be desirable, to the Heads of the Sub-Divisions of the Department.
342. We suggest the abolition of the post of Prosecuting Inspector, as this officer rarely has any personal knowledge of the case in which he appears.
Under an improved system of supervision, where the Medical Officer of Health or Engineer can personally inspect nuisances, we believe the number of prosecutions will greatly decrease, thus removing a very constant, and in many cases a very real source of grievance among the Chinese. The District Inspector will consequently be able to conduct his own prosecutions.
343. We have provided as at present for twelve Districts, but experience may shew that it would be better to reduce the size of the Districts, making twelve n Victoria, and three in Kowloon.
344. With the growth of the population in Kowloon, the latter change will in any case probably have to be made before long. For the same reasons we have put down two Inspectors to be in charge of burials and cemeteries; at present, we understand, this work is done by one man.
One of the difficulties in drawing up our scheme was experienced in con- nection with the Plague Inspectors.
345.
We feel however that as Bubonic Plague is of yearly occurrence in the Colony, the number of Plague Inspectors cannot be reduced, but it would appear that an improvement could be made in utilising the services of these officers in the off season, which often embraces seven or eight months of the year.
346: Evidence has been given to the effect that while at times certain District Inspectors have recently been hard worked, the Plague Inspectors, though doing practically no work, were not sent to their assistance, though specially
asked for.
347. A considerable amount of work, such as measuring window and floor areas, inspecting concrete, &c., now carried out by the Sanitary Inspectors, will under our scheme be transferred to the Engineering Department, by whom such work can be more effectively and thoroughly attended to, and to whose province it rightly belongs.