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May 27, 1807.]
341. All reports from the District Inspectora to be sent direct to the Secretary aud to be opened either by him, or by the Assistant Secretary, who will pass ou 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 constaut, and in many cases, & very.real source of grievance among the Chinese. The District Inspector will conse- quently 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 in Victoria, aud 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 aud cemeteries; at present, we understand, this work is done by
one man.
One of the difficulties in drawing up our cheme was experienced in connection 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.
316. Evidence has been given to the effect that while at times certain District Inspectors have recently been hard worked, the Piagus 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 nuder our scheme be transferred to the Engineering Department, by whom such work can be more effectively and thoroughly attended to, and to whose pr vince it rightly belongs.
348. With the creation of a properly appoint ed engineering department, the posts of sauitary surveyor could be done away with, as the work, of those officers clearly should be subordinate! | to the executive engineer,
349. It has been stated in evidence that ous reason why correspondence has to be dealt with by native clerks, who have so frequently shown themselves unreliable and vonal, was the great amount of correspondence thrown upon the Medical Officer of Health and this again has been given as a reason why the Medical Officer of Health has at times confined his attention largely to office work, when he would have been better employed in supervising the work of the inspectors.
35. The Principal Civil Medical Officer has stated in evidence that lie considers that a Europeas clerk should be attached to the Medical Officer of Health's office, and does not approve of the abolition of this post, which we understood was carried out during bis absence.
We consider, however, that were the cor- respondence concentrated, as it should be, in the secretary's office, there is no need for an additional European clerk.
351. The view is forced upon us that both the Principal Civil Medical Officer and the Medical Officer of Health hare in the past been too anxious to exercise personal control over their correspondence and the staff, ignoring the status of the secretary.
This has resulted in the creation of what may be termed a one-man-system, which given a very competent officer with ample time at his disposal, might possibly be worked satisfactorily for a time, but must in the end break down on the departure of that particular individual,
352. The despotic system has at all times prove a failure. We suggest that one be in- augurated which, whatever obanges may take place in the personnel of the department, cau be carried on without hitob or check in the continuity of the work of the Department,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
353. We have also suggested the abolition of the post of market inspectors. We cannot find that there is any real need for the services of these two officers; uor that their time is pro- fitably employed.
which our increase in the medical and engi- We believe that given the greater supervision neering staff will ensure, that the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon should be able to keep the assistance of these officers. markets in
a sanitary condition, with the
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351. At present there are 17 interpreters for the inspectors and staff generally. With a ro. duced staff, we think 15 s onld prove sufficient. 355. Our general idea is to pay the officers of the department well, and by a re-distribution of the work, ensure but their services are
utilised to the best advantage, which does not appear to be the case at the moment.
356 We are of course aware that our scheme,
if approved, cannot be brought into foros in its entirety at once, as there are a number of fficials (such as the sanitary surveyors, for example) who must be retained, until their services can be utilized elsewhere, or they retire! from the service.
357. With regard to the appointment of the officers of the department, we are strongly of opinion that the sanitary and building staff should not be recruited locally, or from the police force, but that certificated overseers should. be brought out from home who bare been specially trained to carry out duties with which they will be entrusted.
358. We consider that the present system of dealing with this class of Government sorvaut is fa: from satisfactory. irregularities being proved against au officer, In the event of
post, His Excellency the Governor bas but or of his proving himself not fitted for his limited powers for dealing with him, and has to obtain the permission of the Secretary of, State before dispensing with his services.
359. We think that all [uspectors and officers; of lower grades should be engaged on monthly for His Excellency to promptly get rid of au agreements, and thus it would be perfectly easy unsatisfactory or unr liable servant, or if this is not considered desirable, that they should be engaged on similar terms to meinbers of the Police Force.
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360. The basis of pay offered by the Govern- ment, coupled with the fact that loug servies carries with it a substantial pension, should be sufficient to ensure a good class of meu being obtainable and their remaining in the service, We would stat that more than one of the leading firms engage their men on monthly Agreements and experience no difficulty in securing all the employees they require, and retaining them in their service, and this with- out the attraction of a pension.
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347
form part of a large Department, and are not free to act on their own initiation.
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Under existing conditions, owing to the want of proper supervision, and in part to the ambiguous wording of the Ordinance, the
their position. Inspectors have unquestionably misunderstood
discipline which must be maintained, if a large 366. It is only too obvious that that strict
Department is to be satisfactorily managed, is altogether wanting, and as a further consequence an unfortunate spirit of insubordination exists which should be checked.
367. This was very notably exemplified by the attitude taken up by the Inspectors on hearing Your Excellency had considered it advisable to appoint the unofficial Members of the Sanitary Board to form this Commission.
368. Something appears to have been said on the subject by some of the Senior Members of held under the Presidency of the Acting the staff at one of the fortnightly Meetings,
Principal Civil Medical Officer.
the following day, under the Presidency of A meeting of the Inspectors was then called Savitary Surveyor Bryan, at which all the Iuspectors, with two or three exceptions, were present.
369. Most intemperate speeches were made by several of the Senior Inspectors, who ventur d to criticise the appointment of the Commnission. denouncing those selected to form the Commission, and their supposed intended line of action, winding up with a demand, which we understand was subsequently submitted to Your Excellency, through a solicitor, that in the event of an Inspector being called before represented by Counsel. the Commission, he should be allowed to be
as showing, among other things, the spirit of We think it necessary to refer to this matter. insubordination which exists, and as strengthen. ing our contention that the Department requires reorganisatiou, and the subordinate officers plaring nuder proper control.
370. The one remaining point to which we feel we must specially draw Your Excellency's office. attention is the management of the Secretary's
That this has been far from satisfactory for some time past has, we consider, been clearly demonstrated in the course of our enquiry.
371. It is true that after the passing of Ordinance No. 23 of 1903, the Secretary was placed in a most invidious position, and was in joint of fact relegated to the position of a excopt over the native clerks actually under him. senior clark, with practically no authority
Notwithstanding that we consider the present Secretary a hard working and conscientions officer, the work of the Secretary's office was not organised as well as it should and might have been.
#72. We have had to make enquiries and have thus direct d attention to the manner in which į slepartmental correspondence, and the accounts was, correspondence with the public, the inter- have been dealt with by the Sanitary and Building Departments.
361. W would suggest as a matter of detail that the Saui ary Inspect rs should in nture be called Inspectors of Nuisur ces. formerly the case, and as is still done at home, and that those attached to the Engineering Department should be designated Overseers.
362. With regard to the diaries which they In all these directions, we found much are instructed to keep, it appears the Inspectors | existed which was remiss, demanding improve- look up on these as their own personal property Į and destroy them at the end of the year, although the books are provided by the Government.
these diaries should be kept for a certain period, say 3 years, and should be deposited in the Secretary's keeping at the close of the year. 383. A complete record should also be kept of the work done by the individual members of the staff, and monthly portage bills drawn up showing the district in which each mau has been employed.
The Commissioners have more than once asked the name of the Inspector working in a certain district, on a certain date in the im- mediate past, but no record of this has been forthcoming, and the required information was not therefore procurable,
364. We further find the use of chops", that is, stamps with an officer's name, is iu common use in the Department, this is a most reprehensible custom, and should at once be discontinued, as there is nothing to show by whom the "chop" has been affixed
to a document.
365. The Inspectors of Nuisances and Over- seers should be given to understand that they
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373. We gather that as a result of our en- quiries certain reforms have already been effected, but it appears that a thorough recrgauisation is necessary, in order to remove these abuses and to put an end to the very reasonable complaints which have been received.
374. If our proposal be adopted, we consider that the post of Secretary should be filled by a regular member of the cadet service, one who has had considerable experience in Government work, in organisation, and in the general conduct service. The Secretary should have all the of business, as carried out in the Colonial
important office without undue interference. necessary authority to carry out the work of his
375. As part of the new cheme we venture to lay before your Excellency, it appears to us desirable that the finances of the Sanitary and Building Department be placed in the hands of the Sanitary Board.
376. It may perhaps be objected that this cipality. practically amounts to the creation of a Muni-
We would however remind Your Excellency that we have not suggested any change in the constitution of the Board, which should remain