DOCTOR DISRATED

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 March 1922, Page 8

DOCTOR DISRATED

REFLECTIONS ON MINISTER. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 23. The Public Service Commissioner (Mr AV. R. Morris) held tin enquiry into charges of breaches of the Public Service regulations preferred against Dr. Thomas McKibbin, medical officer of health at Auckland, in respect to an intereview in the Auckland newspapers, in which Dr. McKibbin, it was alleged, cast certain reflections on the Minister of Public Health (the Hon. C. J. Parr). The Public Service Commissioner, in whom disciplinary power is vested, held that the charges were proved, and has decided: — (1) That Dr. McKibbin is to bo severely reprimanded and censured. (2) That he is to be reduced from the position of medical officer ,of health at Auckland to medical officer of health at Dunedin. (3) That his salary be reduced. (4) That he is io defray all expenses in connection with his transfor from Auckland to Dunedin, and no allowances are to be paid. (5) That in addition, Dr. McKibbin is to forfeit his salary during the period of his suspension pending the enquiry. A Press message from Auckland, dated February 28, contained an interview with Dr. McKibbin, in which ho replied to the Minister’s statement that he was investigating a charge of slackness in plague precautions at one port in the Dominion. Dr. Mels ibbin said that this statement referred to Auckland, and ho expressed strong resentment at the innuendo and th' ‘‘manner in which Mr Parr had ridden rough-shod over the administrative «f;iff in ventilating charges Ik? had not had confirmed from bis Department.” Dr. McKibbin denied (ho suggestion that there was any slackness in flm 1 u'oeautions while firn Niagara, was in port. He considered that the Vivisb-r mbdit refer such complaints to fl>'> medical officer concerned before ho discredited every officer in the Dominion unnocossarilv bv utteraiu-es in the Press. At nresent, Dr. MeKib Inn staled, the Denarimotif was in a slate (il chaos engendered bv tierce political action ami scaremongering.