Sessional_Paper_1907 — Page 567

187 (9)

Estimates.

16. The Commissioners state that there is a general want of system and supervision in the Department and complain that the financial control formerly enjoyed by the Sanitary Board has been taken away by Ordinance 23 of 1903.

The financial control has always rested and still rests with the Governor, but it is worthy of note that when there was no responsible Administrative Head of the Department the expenditure on Plague alone jumped from $30,000 in 1895 to $320,000 in 1902 whereas under the present systern it has fallen from $165,000 in 1903 to $90,000 in 1906. I quote the figures in round numbers only.

Books and Accounts and Clerical Work.

17.-I append a statement by the Local Auditor on the subject of the reinarks on books Enclosure 7. and accounts made by the Commissioners under this heading.

The method of dealing with the contractor for small stores would appear to require revision and this matter will no doubt receive proper consideration. But if the system generally on which the Sanitary Department has been managed under the existing Ordinances is open to criticism in some particulars I would point out that the Board as constituted prior to Ordinance 23 of 1903 never exercised any supervision or control whatever over the internal economy of the Department. I was for many years a Member of the Board and claim to speak with knowledge on the subject. It was to remedy this want of system and to do away with the delay_and_circumlocution incidental to the working of the Sanitary Ordinance being vested in a Board that met only once a fortnight that the Principal Civit Medical Officer was appointed ex officio President of the Board "to give such directions as may be necessary for carrying out and giving effect to the decisions of the Board and to be the Administrative Head of the Department." The Board has the same control over the working of the Ordinance as it had before, as was fully explained to the Co amissioners by the Medical Officer of Health and by the Secretary of the Board in their evidence. A study of Ordinance 1 of 1903 as amended by 23 of 1903 does not bear out the statement that "the powers of the Principal Civil Medical Officer have been made almost despotic while the functions of the Board have been whittled down to those of an Advisory Committee." I Enclosure 8. attach a list of the various sections of the Ordinance shewing the powers conferred by the law on the Principal Civil Medical Officer, the Medical Officer of Health and the Board respectively. Can it seriously be argued that the Board has been reduced to an Advisory Committee in the face of the facts set out in this list?

The answer to the question in paragraph 276 is in the affirmative. intention to give the President of the Board the control of the Subordinate Staff.

Supervision of Staff.

It was the

18. There was no Assistant Medical Officer of Health for the Colony until August, 1901, and early in 1903 the City of Victoria was divided into two Districts which were placed under the supervision of the Medical Officer of Health and one of the Assistant Medical Officers of Health, while Kowloon formed a third District under the supervision of the Second Assistant Medical Officer of Health who joined in September of that year. It is true that since that system was instituted the two Districts in Victoria have been periodically under one officer owing to the absence on leave of the other or of the Principal Civil Medical

Officer.

The statement in clause 285 that “ up to recent date Dr. CLARK as Medical Officer of Enclosure 9.* Health rarely left his office" is refuted by Dr. CLARK's diary, dating back to January 1st, 1899, which is here submitted for inspection.

Increased supervision means increase of Staff and the question what increase in super- vision is desirable will no doubt receive consideration.

The Commissioners comment on the fact that the corruption which has been found to exist was not discovered by the Senior Officials in the Sanitary Departinent. It should be pointed out that the bribes that have been paid, have been paid by Chinese contractors and others and that most of the charges of bribery relate to that period (since 1903) when greater supervision of the work of the out-door staff was rendered possi- ble.by the increase in the number of Medical Officers of Health. Now the two Chinese

*Not published.