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12
On the 13th August our Clerk received a circular letter, dated 12th, from
the Local Government Board "calling the attention of the authorities to the
great importance of maintaining the efficiency of the sanitary service of the
country at the present time. On this account it is important that all vacancies
in the minor sanitary staff should be filled up." The Board also asked to be
informed "of the steps taken to arrange for the temporary discharge of the
duties" of the Medical Officer of Health or Chief Sanitary Inspector, if absent
on war service. I sent copies of this letter to the Chairman of the Council, the
the Chairman of the Sanitary Committee and the Chairman and Secretary of
the Education Committee on the 13th. About this time a circular of the Board
of Education gave local authorities a free hand in providing accommodation for
children, where the schools had been requisitioned for military purposes.
On the 25th August, at the suggestion of the Home Office, it was ordered
that 200 copies be distributed to shopkeepers of the following resolution: "That
it is neither desirable nor necessary in existing circumstances to dismiss any
assistants ; but that if economies in the carrying on of business are necessary,
they should be made up by other means."
The Edmonton Medical Society wrote to the Council expressing their
readiness to co-operate in any scheme for assisting the Government during the
present crisis.
On September 2nd, I submitted to the Sanitary Committee instructions
from the Local Government Board of August 31st as to co-operation of myself
and staff with the military medical officer in charge of troops, who are (or are
likely to be) stationed in Edmonton, also a circular letter (received September
1st) and two memoranda from the Board about small pox ; also two documents
re vaccine treatment of enteric fever; cerebro-spinal or "spotted fever" was not
referred to. In November, I submitted another instruction from the Local
Government Board, dated 21st October, re co-operation. I reported that Dr
Rock had been called up, whilst on holiday, for active war service. The letter
of the Local Government Board of 12th August, and circular 862 of the Board
of Education were submitted, and I advised that, as desired by the two Government
departments, the vacant post should be filled up at once by the appointment
of some qualified person to assume Dr. Rock's duties in public health and
school medical work, until he is able to re-enter the service of the Council; but
it was decided to defer action until the Education Committee had discussed the
matter. Harold Dyer, the School Medical Clerk, asked for permission to enlist;
permission was given with half-pay and his post to be kept open ; this was confirmed
by the Education Committee on September 21st, who recommended the
appointment of a temporary school medical clerk. On the 16th September, the
Finance Committee recommended the same terms for H. K. Nixon, the
Housing Inspector.