CO885-(26N14) — Page 177

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

885/26

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Dr. G. B. MASON, M.R.C.S., L.R.O.P., D.P.H.

lony? Or a better Colony; it motion for them.

ould be easier to get medical general Service --I think it pect,

lary do you think would be n the West Indies; take the -appointed Medical Officer? d what a Medical man would rent thing, but the question man enough to enable him to decent surroundings, and the up a lot. I should not think ould be of much use.

a young man of 25 or 26? ice, because for the first six Hospital, he would not have

e quarters?-I would suggest

he Government would agree

you cannot get the Govern-

3.

the Barbadian Government

all, the present pay to the

£300, plus quarters.

Il he gets.

-Yes.

very unlikely to give £500 Medical Officer? Then, of to arrange with them and start your men with £400, I later on. As you are very 100." As to the mimimum, a matter to be settled by suppose.

r: We have your views in

ou have sent us? Yes.

there should be an Advisory

e duties should be to advise

i recommend the candidates

nent to the existing vacan-

o interview candidates, if

a good many years been a d not know that.

years? I am very glad to

two medical men and two ice Staff?--I am very glad

for appointment during iowed by that Board, and made practically on their idates are classified accord- Joard as to their capabili- t is met? That has been

prove all Contracts before ignature by the Officer Medical Service." The

{ servico?-Yes, you have I beg your pardon-a ong about that.

There is nothing in the not know there was any- ment about getting my

had to pay my own and to ask if I was entitled

I was not.

The fourth is: "To in- Jecretary of State on all lical Officers in the Ser-

er in a Colony is under

the Director of Medical

, that is so.

peal is to the Governor ?

or to the Secretary of

d that an Officer whore oak, gone through the

Governor, and then to ld have the power to 1 here? Certainly not; onels.

[Continued.

55

1918. Is not that rather what you suggest here?— No, I did not mean to suggest that; that would not be feasible.

1919. You agree that would not be desirable? No, not under those official arrangements. I think they ought to stick to the official channels. I was not suggesting that as an alternative.

1920. Evory Medical Officer should have the right of appearing in person at the Colonial Office, and

interviewing the Medical Board, or the Officer ap- pointed by the Secretary of State to deal with his caso." It is probably since your time, but at nearly every meeting of the Advisory Board for Tropical Africa Officers of the Colonial Service attend and are interviewed. That is the regular system in opera. tion at the present time, and has been for many years? I did not know that.

1921. They have not the right to appear, but they

are invited?-I only suggested that, as I thought it would be more satisfactory.

1922. You had rather in mind something in the nature of a case?-Not a case which has arisen, but one which might arise.

1923. I do not wish you to understand that ques- tions of that kind come before the Advisory Board; they do not? They do not.

1924. No. Then there is the question of passages; well, I think we have had a good deal of evidence on that point, and the Committee understand what the views of the Medical Officers are, whether they

can be met or not?-In my case, I resigned and I never got my passage back to England. I got my passage out, but I never got my passage back; I had to pay it myself. I resigned in England.

1925. Chairman: Did you resign in the Colony?-- No; I resigned in England at the end of my leave.

1926. You had naturally paid your passage home when you came on leave?—I did, and I resigned in England.

1927. Sir James Fowler: Then you think that that ought to have been paid by the Colonial Office? Well, I thought that it ought to be, if I could get it, but if it was not in my Contract, or in my Passago Agreement, I was not entitled to it, and there was An end of the matter. I do not remember whether

it was or was not. I asked the question, I was told

I was not entitled to it, and I never got it.

1928. You agree that Officers who do not serve for three years should not have their passage money

refunded if they resign before the three years are completed; that they should be required to refund their passage money? That has always been the Regulation; I do not know whether it is quite a just Regulation,

1929 Not quite equitable, perhaps?—I do not think it was. They will not give you any pension, but I thought that a man's passage might be paid; there might be some very valid reason for him having to resign you never know.

1930. You were born in Barbados?-That is so. 1931. And you obtained your qualification over here? Yes. I went out to work at the age of 18, when I left school, from 18 to 23; I came over here and I sat for the Matriculation of the University of London, passed in the First Division, went down to the London Hospital, then I went on and took the Pre-

liminary Scientific, and then I had no money to complete, so I took the LR.C.S., M.R.O.P. After the London Hospital, I came down to Brompton and was under you for a time.

1992. You were House Physician at Brompton?-- Yes, under you.

1993. You mentioned, in your letter to me, that you knew Mr. Knollys at Barbados?-1 know Mr. Knollys when he was Colonial Secretary at Barbados. 1994. You were not qualified at that time? Oh, no; my father never had the money to aand me over till I was 23.

1935. Have you any suggestions to make that are not in your memorandum? The only official sug- gestions I have to make I have put in my momo- randum.

1936. Still, the Committee would be pleased to hear any?I thought it out; I do not think I have anything else to say unless the Committee want to sek me.

I wrote you privately what my experience

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1

56

5 January, 1920.]

COLONIAL MEDICAL SERVICES COMMITTEE.

Dr. G. B. Mason, M.R.C.8,, L.R.CP., D.P.H.

had been, but officially I have only to suggest what is in the memorandum.

1987. Sir Humphry Rolleston: I see you say, in your memorandum," that study leave should be voluntary or compulsory, as the Secretary of State requires P-Yes.

1998, Which is desirable; do you think that it should be compulsory that the course should be taken?—I think it is great advantage to the people of the Colony that these men should take these qualifications, and I think it should be com- pulsory.

1939. You leave it to the Secretary of State out of politeness-Quite so; he pays, and he should decide what ought to be done.

1940. Mr. Fiddian: Surely the Colonial Govern- ment pays He controls it.

1941. But he does not pay at all-If you leave it to the Colonial Government, then the Colonial Government should pay.

1942. Sir Humphry Bolleston: Of course, the Becretary of State could only decide on the recom- mendation made by somebody That is what is usually done, I believe.

a

1948. The recommendation would be made by the senior Officer?—Yes; whoever is responsible, either the senior Officer or the Governor.

1944. Mr. Fiddian: You say it would be a good

were appointed to thing if Medical Officers West Indian Medical Service?—Yes.

1945. It would enable a younger man, when he first went out, to be put in the worst districts? Yes, if thought advisable to do so.

1946. Who would be responsible for stationing the medical men!It would depend where the vacancies

were.

1947. Supposing a plan of this kind wero adopted, and the Secretary of State selected Dr. Jones for appointment to the West Indian Medical Service. You would say the Secretary of State should decide where he should gof-It would all depend on where the vacancy WAS.

1948. The vacancy, say, would be in Dominica; the Secretary of State would send him to Dominica; but surely the Secretary of State would not decide which district in Dominica he should go to?-No.

1949. What is the difference between that and the existing system; the Secretary of State appoints?— The oxisting system in, you have a Medical Service for the Leeward Islanda, a Medical Service for Antigua, another for St. Vincent, and another for St. Lucia. I think it might simplify matters if you put them all into one Service.

1950. I quite see it would simplify matters, but I am trying to get at the practical advantages. That question of station does not seem to me to work out quite on these lines; it does not seem to me that your scheme would make it very different from the existing one. When you first went out, it was left. to the Colonial Government?-Tes, and it should be. 1951. So, from that point of view, there is no great advantage in changing the system?-Except from the fact of pensions and the transferring of men from one Colony to another.

Do you

1952. That is another aspect of the case. think all the Colonies could stand an initial salary

of £500 a year for a Medical Officer? I could not Bay.

1958. There is a certain number of Medical Officers who are native to the West Indies; they practically never come home to this country?—I do not think so; they have to some home to get better qualiá- cation.

1954. But that is after they have been appointed Medical Officers, surely; there is a certain number of coloured Medical Officers Coloured Medica Officers get districts after they are qualified.

1955. They do not come here to analify? Why? 1956. They do not in practice? They must come over here originally to get their qualification.

1957. But after their appointment?-Do they not?

Chairman: Why should they?

1958. Mr. Fiddian: They are domiciled in the West Indies Surely they have to come over here to get a British qualification.

1989. Chairman: That is before; aftor they have entered the Bervice; after they have got their

[Continued.

British qualification, as a matter of fact, they do not often come to England-Perhaps it is that these people do not like the climate.

1960. No, their home is over there?--My home is over there.

1961. But then you are white, and you like com ing amongst white people?-No, I do not; I would like to get back out there to-morrow if I could. I like the life. I have good many friends here but, personally, I like the life over there.

1962. Mr. Fiddiam: Is there not some danger of coloured medical

undercutting under your scheme by putting up with loss salary than Euro- pean sent from this country?-It all depende on what class of man the Government want out there.

1963. There is a certain number of West Indians? I am a West Indian.

men

1964. There is a certain number of black West Indians with British medical qualifications; they will be content with much less salary if appointed as Government Medical Officers-You

they

mean

could live on less than a white man could live?

Yes, I think so?-Not all of them. 1965. A certain number of them could? If the Government like those sort of people.

1966. There are some poor Governmenta in the West Indies. A poor Government faced with the alter- native of appointing man from Europe at £500 year with expensive passages, or appointing

black man from the West Indies at a much less salary and no passage? Of course, they will all save the passage.

1967. The whole of your scheme will be under- mined by that?-Not necessarily; it would all de- pend on the Government. If you start with a mini- mum, that minimum is there; it is a fixed minimum, if you make it £300 or £400, whatever you make it, there is a fixed minimum. If I were the Governor of the Colony and there was a man in the place with

British qualification, I would not charge the Colony with a page from England, if the man was suitablo.

1968. You would take the black man?-If he were suitable.

1989. If he were willing to take £800, there would be a strong temptation to give it?—I would have a minimum, and say, "Here is a fixed minimum."

1970. If the Colony could not pay that fixed minimum?-Yon would settle what the minimum was. 1971. But you would have to settle the minimum according to what the poorest Colony could pay, and. at present, I think that is only £250?—I think it ought to be more.

1972. That is what the poorest Colony can afford to pay? Can they get the men?

1973. They cannot ?-Then you are driven to employ men who go to the United States. They come out with a United States qualification, and they practise in Colonies where they say only men of British qualifications can practise, which is contrary to the law.

1974. I think that is so?-It has been done in the Leeward Islands, I know.

1975. In your Memorandum you say, "A model West Indian Medical Act should be drawn up by the Colonial Office, and sent out to the West Indies with instructions to the Colonies to amend their local Acta, and bring them into line with the model Act A was done with the Quarantine Acts." remember how the Quarantine Acts were originally remodelled in the West India?I have not got the details, but I was told out there that the model was sont from here.

Do you

1976. To certain extent that is true, but it 18 very misleading. What happened was that an officer specially selected by the Local Government Board went out there; a Quarantine Conference was held at which all the West Indian Colonies were repre- sented, and the model was drawn up there at that Conference by agreement?-That is the best way to do it.

1977. You think such & Medical Act might be drawn up in the same way?—I think the precedent of the Quarantine Conference should be followed, as you have told me.

1978. How does the Medical Act come into this; the Medical Act rettles who shall be allowed to prac

5 Janu.

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