MINISTER & OFFICERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 150, 20 March 1919, Page 6

MINISTER & OFFICERS

NO OFFENCE MEANT

SOME EXPLANATIONS

TO CORRECT WRONG IMPRESSIONS

Some offence was taken by tho Minister of- Public Healtli at tho cvidenco presented to tjio Epidemic Commission d.v Dr. Mnkgill. That evidence was, in effect, a-very full ieport,on the working of the Department, and Dr. Mnkgill said that he had prepared tho report in conference with liis fellow-officers. Dr. Mnkgill came before tho Commission yesterday to. iiiako a statement in •regard to the composition of his report. "I stated,"-lie said; "that it was a compilation the result cf a conference or medical officers of the Department. That is so. I should just like to elaborate that. There was first i f nil u conference of medical officers at tho beginning of the year to review the position generally, and later I was asked to" edit that part of the evidence which we were to give relating to general control of tho Department, relationship of tho Department to local bodies, and so oil. 1 received assistance in getting together material for this evidence from many officers oi the Department. Tor instance, Dr. Valintiiie contributed his views on the general position as regards local bodies, and so on,' and Dr. Erengley gave me that part regarding the position of hospital boards as regards disinfection. Drs. Hughes and Watt contributed notes on various difficulties ihey had had with the Act. Putting these things together, X compiled the report and put it into my own language. But that portion relating to the .political aspect—the relation between the Minister and the Department and all the rest of it—was wholly my own. 1 did not oht.aiir assistance froni other officers on that." Sir John Denniston: You take' full, respousibilitv for that? Dr. Makgill: That is on my own responsibility. I may say that for a.great .many yonrs I have hpld this idea, that a body like the English Local Government Board should control the activities of tho Department, and I think I liavo referred to it in my annual reports as far back as 1901. ' Sir John Denniston sii'd that when the

Minister was before the Commission, the, day before he had wished to read to the 'Minister:a statement from Dr. Makgills evidence, but. the transcript had not been available. The passago he had wished to read to, the Minister was: "This is a somewhat delicate'matter to deal with, but there is absolutely nothing personal in what I-anv saying. I go further and say that had we had so much interest taken in the past by Ministers of Public Health as tho present Minister lias shown, ,1 think we should have been in a better position. I do not want in any ' way to criticise the present Minister. "I think I may add," said Sir John Denniston, "that your comparison to a debating society, which, seems .to liavo caused so much offence, was only a somewhat rhetorical way of putting your view that the board was only an advisory body." ... , 1 Dr. Makgill: Yes, it is plainly shown in my evidence that I was thero reforming only to the locai advisory boards. ! Dr. Valintine said that ho also .wished to make a statement on tho same subject. Ho 6aid that on behalf _of the officers of the Department ..he wished to 1 take this, the first opportunity of removing the impression -undoubtedly created that Dr. Makgill's,'evidence was prompted by personal feeling against the Minister. On the contrary, if would appear from the full notes of the evidence given that the Minister had tried his best to put the Department on a proper footing. In the opinion of the officers, of the Department Dr. Makgill had given his evidence in a thoroughly fair manner, and he very much regretted to hear from the Minister that the Department had not played fair with him. ■ There were one or two other things he would like to say.' ITe had discussed matters with Dr. Makgill. and as chief executive officer of the Department lie

(Dr. Valintine) took full responsibility for anything Dr. Makgill might say. He shared Dr. Makgill's idea that political control should be reduced to a minimum. He was very glad that Dr. Makgill had removed the impression that lie was. in his ,references to which exception had been taken, speaking of. the £na.rd of Health. The Board of Healtli as at present constituted bad been appointed on their recommendation, in which Dr. Makgill concurred, and it would be of very great assistance to him us Chief Health Officer.