Sessional_Paper_1907 — Page 441

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Q.-If you carried out the directions of the Board, you could surely be responsible.

A.-But I was not a servant of the Board,-I never was. The President of the Board was a Member of the Board. He was not an Executive Officer of the Board. It has been anomalous all along. I have always considered it would be much better to have Sanitary Health matters run either by a Municipality or as a Government Department, one thing or the other. A combination of the two is impracticable in my mind,

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Q.-But what I wanted to get is what was before?

A. Before, the Sanitary Board made all the rules for the guidance of the officers, but although they did, the Government appointed the officers, the Government paid the officers, and the Board, especially the President, who was simply a Member of the Board, had no say as to what the salary of the officers should be.

Q.-Had the Board any say as to what the salary of the officers should be in those days?

A.-No, the Board only recommended. The Government decided.

The Chairman.-Do you mean the Governor-in-Council?

A. I mean the. Government.

Q.--And with the assistance of one or two officials?

A. What is understood as the Government. It is communicated to the Colonial Secretary, who presents it to the Government, or to the Council.

Q.-The Governor-in-Council, as we know, is the Executive Council. You mean the Governor, when you say the Government?

A. Yes.

Q-Not the Governor-in-Council ?

A.-No.

285.-Mr. Humphreys.-How long was Dr. Clark Medical Officer of Health under you as Principal Civil Medical Officer ?

A.-I can't tell you.

Q.-I would like to know whether you consider his duties as Medical Officer of Health should be conducted in the office, or outside the office chiefly ?

A. I think the more work he does outside, the better.

Q. Is it not a fact that he is in the office and very seldom outside of it?

A. Yes, and when Dr. Pearse was appointed, I insisted on dividing the town between the three Medical Officers of Health. They were each responsible for practically taking a daily round of the Inspectors of the Districts, and seeing that the Inspectors did their work.