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7
or from a professional point of view, comparatively well paid, but,
although the holding of the appointment has been on occasion during
the past twenty-five years uncomfortable, particularly when housing
conditions or epidemics or fears of epidemics of infectious disease
and food poisoning and other difficulties gave rise to anxiety, I
must confess that at all times the work has been of absorbing
interest, even though I should not like to repeat the experience if I
could turn back the pages of the years.
During the past few years I have seen the Chief Officers of
the Council now holding office appointed and, with one exception, I
also saw the appointment of their predecessors whom they have
succeeded.
It is, perhaps, as well for my peace of mind that during the
periods preceding the war I should have been unaware that for
over five years, in addition to the ordinary Public Health administration,
trying enough on occasion, I should also, with a diminished
staff, become responsible for the administration of the Civil Defence
Casualty Services, which included stationary and mobile First-Aid
Posts, Light Rescue Squads, Gas Cleansing Centres, Mortuary
Service, Medical Aid Posts in shelters, the sanitary condition of
shelters including the extermination of vermin, special arrangements
for decontamination of food, training in first-aid and gas
protection of all personnel and also with regard to this training in
factories, and the administration of the eight war-time day
nurseries and two staff hostels. However, these states of emergency
during this war period and ante-war period have been from one
aspect a source of great comfort and pride since I have realised the
magnificent work carried out by my Department, often under great
difficulties and without any adequate thanks or return.
It is difficult for the Council and almost impossible for the
public to realise how well they have been served, particularly during
the war period when the personnel of the Department carried out
voluntarily many duties which could not have been imposed upon
them if they had been unwilling. In this connection the competency
of the Borough Engineer's Department must be mentioned
and the amazing speed with which damage to depots, day nurseries,
the Disinfecting Station and other of the Council's buildings was
repaired so as not to hold up the Council's work; in fact the
additional burdens placed upon that Department together with the
Public Health Department from the Munich crisis and subsequently.
This is not the time to make references to individual officers
and their responsibilities but perhaps at a later date this may be
possible.