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I2A
On the 7th September, the Board of Education wrote enquiring what the
Education Committee were doing with reference to the filling of vacant posts.
On September 15th I wrote advising my Chairman to summon a special
meeting of the Sanitary Committee. I received no reply.. On that date I
received from the County Medical Officer of Health, a letter, dated nth
September, referring to the circular of the Local Government Board about
co-operation.
At the Education Committee of the 15th September, I presented circular
86?, dated 28th August, from the Board of Education. This was in similar,
but not such emphatic, terms to that of the Local Government Board before
mentioned, and referring to the absence of officers in the School Medical Service.
I advised them to fill up Dr. Rock's vacancy at once, also that of the School
Medical Clerk, but the subject was not dealt with until a special meeting on
the 21st.
At the special Education Committee of the 21st September, the Committee
decided to postpone for six months the question of appointing an Assistant
School Medical Officer to act during the absence of Dr. Rock; this was submitted
to the Sanitary Committee of 7th October, who recommended that no
appointment be made to fill up the post of Assistant Medical Officer of Health.
In view of the special Education Committee on the 21st, and the ordinary
Council meeting of the 22nd, I sent a report, dated 18th September, to all
Councillors, pointing out that the absence of three officers had reduced my staff
to an extent which had rendered the Public Health and School Medical Service
inadequate and inefficient ; that the additional responsibility of 1,000 refugees
rendered the services of a full staff most necessary; and that the advice of the
Local Government Board and Board of Education was being ignored by them.
"In these unusual times" (I said) "economy may be judged to be meanness
and delay in filling up vacant posts as wilful neglect." Special meetings of the
Education and Sanitary Committees should have been held, so that their cooperation
with me might have been obtained. As it was, I had to meet the
critical situation single-handed.
At the adjourned special meeting of the Education Committee on
September 29th, a resolution was passed requesting me to inspect speciallyreferred
children twice weekly as previously, until such time as further
arrangements were made. This I had been doing, as far as my own duties
permitted, since Dr. Rock left.