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2 February, 1920.]

COLONIAL MEDICAL SERVICES COMMITTEE.

2749. That was last May ?—Yes.

DR. GWILYM Charles MONTAGUE DAVIKS.

2750. In November you came back to take up another appointment; did you again pay your own fare? That was provided for me.

2751. You came back this time at the expense of whom I presume at the expense of West Africa.

2762. Chairman: You are going now to take up an appointment on the Gold Coast 7-Yes.

2753. Sir Harry Verney: What appointment on the Gold Coast ?--Medical Officer of Health.

2754. Is that a better appointment?-It is better because I get more allowances.

2765. What was the inducement to take it; really a financial one?-First of all because I think pro- motion is better, and secondly, it is easier to keep up to date from West Africa than from Fiji.

2756. You joined the West African Medical Staff P -Yes.

2757. As an outsider, as it were? Yes.

2758. Chairman: One of the things that induced you to take the transfer was that you were nearer to England, was it not?-Yes.

2759. A shorter voyage?—A shorter voyage.

Sir Harry Verney: It is as a matter of fact, almost unique to bring someone in from outside.

Mr. Fiddian: A Medical Officership of Health is generally held by a man who is put on to a higher grade of salary; £500 to £800, and given staff pay.

Sir Harry Verney: Where does his chance of pro- motion come in? He does not start at the bottom, does he?

The Secretary: Yes.

2760. Sir Harry Verney: Did you know that ?—All I know about it is that I put in a paper.

2761. The Secretary: Previous service cannot count for seniority in the West African Service; it will count for pension, but it will not count towards your 18 years' service in West Africa?—I did not suppose it would. Another man I know has been transferred from Fiji.

2763. Sir Harry Verney: Are you going to the Gold Const-Yen.

2769. For the purpose of seniority you come below every Medical Officer on the Gold Coast. P

The Secretary: Technically, yes.

Sir Harry Verney: But actually?

The Secretary: Actually he is Medical Officer of

Health on the Gold Coast.

Chairman: At what salary P

The Secretary: £500 to £600 plus £100 duty allow- ance, plus £100 staff pay, plus War Bonus.

Chairman: Surely ho will rank with the other Medical Officers on the scale £500 to £600?

The Secretary: He will rank with the Medical Officers of Health, at present, and the Medical Officers that are there all rank according to seniority, but among them are the Medical Officers of Health.

Chairman: He will rank at the bottom of the Medical Officers of Health?

The Secretary: Yes, in the staff they are all on one roster.

Chairman: But he must be on at the £500 to £600 section of them?

The Secretary: There is no special £500 to £600 section. All Medical Officers of Health receive that salary whatever their seniority.

Sir Harry Ferney: Ho is at the bottom of the roster.

Chairman: When they join the Wost African Medical Staff they join at £400.

The Secretory: A man might join at £400 to-day and be made Medical Officer of Health to-morrow, and would then get £500 to £600.

Chairman: He would be very lucky.

[Continued.

2764. Sir Harry Verney: How many years' service have you had under the Colonial Office P-I joined in 1910.

2765. You have had 10 years ?--Yes,

2766. And now, on the roster, you go below a man who was appointed last year.

The Secretary: In the West African Service. Sir Harry Verney: Is not promotion by seniority in the West African Service?

The Secretary: Seniority comes into it, other things being equal.

Sir Harry Verney: Seniority comes into it, and Dr. Davies coming into it will be below the man appointed last year.

2767. Sir James Fowler: Seniority is considered, and capacity is considered.

2768. Sir Harry Verney: Anyhow, you are quite satisfied, are you, with the position -I have got just as good an appointment as I had in Fiji, in fact,

rather a better one.

Mr. Fiddian: When it comes to the sanitary officer- ships the D.P.H., or equivalent qualification, very greatly restricts the selection. In practice you have to choose a man as Medical Officer of Health from such other Medical Officers as have the D.P.H. and even among them it is not a very large selection.

2769. Sir Harry Verney: I think you told the Chair- the man you thought interchangeability between Colonies would be a good thing?—Yes.

2770. What Colonies would you group with Fiji ?— I do not know what Colonies I would group with Fiji, because they are right out of the way of every- where.

2771. What did you contemplate?-It is difficult to say really. I do not see any advantage in a man remaining in a place like Fiji the whole of his life.

2772. Where is the normal Medical Officer of Fiji to go to ?--I do not know, I am sure, I have not the faintest idea unless he went to the West Indies, or something like that.

2773. On the question of leave, is there any leavo to Australia?-Oh yes.

2774. You can got leave wherever you like?—You got six wooks' leave a year, or four and a half months at the end of three years, provided there in a substitute to carry on your work during absence.

2775. What do you get at the end of six years P- Twelve months, four and a half at full pay, and seven and a half at half pay.

2776. If you came across a medical friend, would you advise him to take an appointment under the Colonial Office to-day ?-It all depends on where he wanted

to go.

2777. Other than Fiji or the Gold Coast ?-No, I have no objection to Colonial appointments at all. I should not recommend a man to go to Fiji or the Solomon Islands.

2778. In fact not any of the places you know ? No. 2779. Sir Humphry Bolleston: You have served with the Army; do you think, reviewing your past, you would have done better if you had gone into the Army?-I think if I had been the right age, par. sonally, I should have joined the Army,

2780. You mean you were too old?-No, I am much too old for the Army.

2781. No, when you started; were you 28 when you started -You mean when I first got qualified ? 2782. Sir Harry Varney: When you first took a Colonial appointment.-When I first took a Colonial appointment I was 32.

2783. Sir Humphry Rolleston: So you were in private praction ?—Yes.

2784. You cannot, looking back, say whether your position would have been better if you had joined the

2 February, 1920.]

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

DR. GWILYM CHARLES MONTAGUE DAVIES.

Army P-I know if I had joined the Colonial Service when I was first qualified I would have been better than I am now.

2785. From the point of view of the Colonial Sor- vice, if I may call it so, do you think it would be better if a man stuck to one job such as public health or bacteriology the whole time, or if he took a term at it? I do not know; from my own point of view I think it would be better for a man to stick to one job; specialise.

2786. From the point of view of the Service?-From the point of view of the Service,

2787. You think from both points of view it is better P-I think a man who has specialised has a better chance of promotion.

2788. But for the benefit of the Service generally, do you think it is better?

2789. Chairman: Are there good appointments as Medical Officers of Health P-In the Colonial Service? 2790. In the Colonial Service, yes.-I do not know. I think it is more interesting work; personally, I do not care about private practice.

2791. Sir Humphry Rolleston: From the point of view of the Service, do you think it better that e man should be a permanent specialist, presuming he kept up his work?-I think so.

2792. Mr. Fiddian: I suppose the majority of the Medical Officers in Fiji are employed in district work? Yes, they are.

2793. That is to say they have to be "Jacks of all trades," so to speak P-Yes, they are Medical Officers, they are Medical Officers of Health, and general Sanitary Officers.

2794. And do any odd surgery? And do any odd surgery.

2795. That is the case with the majority; in it the great majority, do you think?-Well, no, I should not say it is with the great majority unless they are urgent cases, they generally send them into the Hospital at Suva.

2796. In the Solomons, for instance, everybody has to do anything that comes along? Yes.

2797. I suppose that will always be so P-Yes. 2798. That limits the field for specialisation vary greatly ?-Yes, as far as the Solomon Islands are concerned. I do not know whether they have improved since I was there. They had no hospital when I was there; they just started to build one when I was transferred.

2799. Were the salaries paid to the Fiji and Pro- tectorate Medical Officers adequate before the war, do you think?-I do not think so; even before the war I thought they were low. Everybody else did too; they thought people ought to start at about £500 boing so far away.

2800. That simply comes to the difficulty of cost of going to and fro?-The difficulty of cost of going to and fro.

2801. Were you at full pay while you were on those voyages ?-This time.

2802. When you were coming home on leave?—Yes, coming over to England I was.

2803. As you were only allowed £60 and the expense of the journey was £120 you say, you were £60 out

[Continued.

87

of pocket. That was not quite so, was it; you would have to live somewhere?-Putting it that way one would have to live somewhere, but at the same time one would not spend nearly as much as £60 if one were not travelling.

not quite the same

2804. A certain expense you would have incurred in Fiji, would you not?-Expenses are much heavier travelling than living in Fiji.

28044. I see that, but still it thing.

2805. Sir William Leishman: How many Medical Officers are there in Fiji P-I think there are about 12 now.

2806. And in the Solomons?-There were two; now, I believe, there are none. All I know is that when I was there I saw only one, and then they appointed someone else in my place, and after him somebody else came. Now, I hear that both have left.

2807. Then you have a Principal Medical Officer, or Chief Medical Officer in Fiji-Yes, in Fiji.

2808. Is there any other administrative officer; has he a deputy P-There is a senior Medical Officer who would act as his deputy when he goes on leave. 2809. The Medical Officer of Health is yourself} The Medical Officer of Health is myself, yes, that was my post.

2810. All the others are Executive Officers and District Officers?-District Officers. There is a hos- pital in Suva, and they generally have a junior man living there. He is not in charge of the hospital; he is resident there. The Senior Medical Officer lives in Suva, that is the capital of Fiji, and he is really in charge of the hospital, his house being in the hospital compound.

2311. What length of service in Fiji has most senior District Officers, the man next to your Principal Medical Officer, how long has he served out there?- He has served out there now, I think, about 20 years.

2812. And he is still a district Medical Officer.- Senior Medical Officer.

2819. The one next to him?The one next to him. 17 odd years; he is a District Medical Officer.

2814. What scale of pay would he get?-£360 to £500.

2815. After 17 years' service?—Yes.

2818. Have you any laboratory there?-Oh yes. 2817. Your laboratory ?--Yes.

2818. That is the only laboratory in the island, I suppose -Well, there is a little laboratory on one of the other islands, but most of the work is done in my laboratory.

2819. You have not, I suppose, after your duties much time for research-Well, there is not a great deal; you have to do sanitary work, you have to de port work and bacteriological work. Still, it is all one really.

2820. Dr. Barr did research work in Fiji-Yes, he was out there before I was out there.

in

2821. There are great opportunities for research the islands, especially in Filariasis?-Yes, in Filariasis.

Chairman: Thank you.

(The Witness withdrew.)

(Adjourned till Monday next, the 9th February, 1920, at 3 p.m.)

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