in this case an additional junior Medical Officer would be quir-
-ed to assist in the Government Civil Hospital and a re-arrange- -ment would be necessary so as fully to employ his time, and pro- -vide for the charge of the Victoria Hospital. I should be inclin- -ad to recommend the adoption of this proposal, but a personal question arises to which I will allude presently.
9.
The third course differs but slightly in practice from the last for the Medical Officer of Health is al- -ready entirely separated from the Medical Department. I do not favour this scheme as a permanent one, for should the present senior Medical Officer of Health retire or be promoted elsewhere it is improbable that his successor would be of sufficient seniority. Moreover if the Medical Officer of Health was directly responsible to and communicated direct with the Government difficulty would arise in regard to the Head of the Sanitary Department to which he belongs.
10.
Dr. F. W. Clark, Medical Officer of Health,
and Dr. J. Bell, Superintendent of Government Civil Hospital, are
the two officers whose claims have to be considered. The former is
not in the Medical Department but he is an officer of great energy and organising ability and is a year senior to Dr. Bell.
The latter is an officer of very sound common-sense who would also
probably make a good head to the Medical Department. In the
circumstances I find some difficulty in making a recommendation
to you. While I feel that Dr. Bell has strong claims to succeed as
the Head of his own Department, and I have every confidence in
him, I should be loathe to pass over Dr. Clark who is the senior
Medical Officer in the Government Service, and has done excellent
work. He has been an applicant for various appointments outside
the Colony, and I am disposed to suggest that as long as he
remains in the Government Service, the third of the courses which
I have suggested should be adopted with the following modifica- -tions, in order to avoid the apparent supercession of Dr. Clark. Dr. Bell to be called Superintendent of Hospitals and to remain in charge of the Government Civil Hospital and Lunatic Detention
Rooms