リ
74
26 January, 1920.]
COLONIAL MEDICAL SERVICES COMMITTEE.
Lieut.-Colonel W. T. PROUT, C.M.G.
2391. But there are Departments at the Colonial Office, and the medical officers serving in those Colonies would correspond with the Department of the Colonial Office; as in West Africa with the West African Department, and the West Indian with the West Indian Department, and so on?-You mean in the Civil Branches; the Executive Branch?
2392. Yes? Well, you will find the same thing happens there. It is not a homogeneous service, and all the junior people, up to a certain point, are recruited locally. The senior ones are moved, and the senior ones in the Medical Service are moved at the present moment, from Colony to Colony, but the mass of them are not.
2383. My conception is of a Service in sections corresponding to the Departments of the Colonial Office?-It might be possible to make 日 certain number of groups.
2394. That is the idea P-Where the people could be interchangeable and would serve under, more or less, the same conditions. But even that would be very difficult, because you have the local authorities, who are very jealous of their power, to deal with.
2395. Chairman: And that has been done in West Africa, has it not P-Yos, that has been done, but the conditions are all similar.
you
an
2396. Sir James Fowler : Do
suggest Inspector-General for West Africa?-Yes; well, my idea is to have one big African Medical Service.
2397. Chairman: For tropical Africa -For tropical Africa.
2398. Sir James Fowler: I do not know whether you remember this quotation: "It should certainly not be his duty to form a sort of High Court for the trial of errant Governors et hoc genus omne.' "1 P Who is it?
2399. Do you recognise the author of that; that is Sir Hugh Clifford, now Governor of Nigeria? How do you think he would welcome your Inspector- General? That is surely another matter. The question is what is the best for the Service, and for the Colonies, not for the Governor.
2400. How do you think that the Governors of the various colonies concerned in West Africa would welcome the visita of an Inspector-General?—I cannot presume to answer how they would.
2401. In your memorandum, which led to the Com- mittee of which we are both members, this occurs: That facilities may be given to them to express through adequate chaunels the feelings of discontent, should they arise at any time." Do you think the existing channels are adequate—I warn you that I have your own memorandum here? This one that I have in front of me?
2402. Yes. I think, on the whole, it is fairly adequate, but I think that a general head would probably be closer in touch with the Colonial Offics, and would be able to bring matters, where there was any discontent, more directly home.
2403. But is not that precisely what one is contend- ing for? Well, but we are talking of West Africa just now.
If
2404. Still, it applies to them all, does it not? it applies to West Africa, surely it applies to the other branches of the Service ?-Well, but then you are up against at once the local administrations who are very jealous of their power in the smaller Colonies.
2405. But he would not interfere with them, surely? -That I cannot say. I do not mean the Governors, I mean the local Administration.
2406. Chairman: The elected members of the Legis- lative Council?-In the West Indies, for example, they are largely elected members, do you see; that introduces another element altogether.
2407. Sir James Fowler: You say, in your memor- andum, that you would draw exactly the opposite
[Continued.
conclusion, the conclusion being that the existing system affords adequate means for so and so; you would draw exactly the opposite conclusion?—Yes, I do not think it did, and at that time there was no means of getting the thing home except general grousing.
2408. If this would be an advantage to the members of the West African Medical Staff, why should it not be shared in by members of the Staffs serving in other parts of the world?-Because they serve under entirely different conditions.
2409. Certainly; I am not suggesting that the Inspector-General, but you were suggesting that a man in that position would be a better channel than the present one? On the whole, yes, I think he would, 2410. If they had that better channel, why should not the others have a channel equally; why have they not an oqual right to a channel of that kind, to express their discontent or feeling at any time?—I suggest a Director-General because there is a more or less homogeneous Service. If you do not have a homo- geneous service, I do not see how you have a Director- General.
2411. It entirely depends, surely, on the duties and functions of the Director-General? Yes, well, we have discussed that in the Advisory Committee many times.
2412. I do not know whether you read my memoran- dum which came out just before yours? Oh yes, I have read it.
2413.
Do you agree with the duties laid down there ?—I shall have to read it again.
2414. I will not press that. I go on to the question of the union of the East and West African Services. What advantages do you see from a union of those two Bervices?-Well, it would be very much larger, and it would allow greater interchangeability; you would have a bigger selection; it could be made more attractive. I think the esprit de corps will be greater.
2415. Chairman: You would get more regular pro- motion ?-More regular promotion.
2416. Sir James Forcler: Would you have the conditions as regards pay, leave and retirement the same in the two?-It might be necessary not to have them exactly the same, but you could assimilata them by having local allowances.
2417. Chairman: That is as regards pay ?--You.
2418. And the same us regards leave ?--Yes, there is no reason whatever why leave should be the same everywhere. It is obvious that certain places are unhealthy. The question is as to whether leave should be all equal on the West Coast of Africa.
2419. Under these conditions, would it be a homo- geneous Medical Service?-Oh quite. I do not see what difference little details would make, any more than it makes any difference that there is a bigger travelling allowance in one Colony than there is in nuother.
2420. Sir James Fowler: Supposing a man who had been the whole of his time in Nyasaland were appointed to be Director of Medical Service in Nigeria, do you think that would be to the advantage of the Service P-1 do not think it is fery likely.
2421. It is a possibility though; that is what you are contemplating?-Oh| no, the man who is in a amall Colony like Nyasaland is very unlikely to jump from that to the other; he would get up gradually; he would probably have had more experience by that tiine.
2422. Do you think that any officer whose whole experience had been in East Africa would be regarded favourably if he were appointed head of a Colouy in West Africa ?—I think, if it were one African Medical Service, that would be regarded with equanimity, just as it is at the present moment, if a man who has
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