COMBINED LABORATORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18022, 22 February 1922, Page 6

COMBINED LABORATORY.

BACTERIOLOGICAL RESEARCH.

DEPARTMENT AND BOARD.

The question of combining the bacteriological laboratory of the Department of' Public Health in Auckland with that established by the Hospital Board was before the board last evening. The Director-General of Health, Dr. T. H. A. Valintine, attended the meeting, and said that it had already been agreed that some such combination should ha effected as soon as possible. The difficulty was that there was no accommodation available at the hospital. In Dr. Gilmour the board had a very excellent officer, and the Government was prepared to hand over its laboratory to be carried on under his direction, He expressed the belief that the amalgamation would increase the efficiency of the present institution, and enable the department's officers, who might otherwise have to find other work, ■ to continue the duties in which they bad proved so efficient. The department's laboratory was one of the best in the Dominion. There could be only one head of the combined laboratory, and that head should be Dr. Gilmour. The ne'v institution would be able to cope with all the work in the Auckland Hospital district. He was pleased to say that it would be possible to make temporary arnngements for bousing the staff until the board was able to provide a suitable building at the hospital. Of the four officers at present employed by the department one was now working under Dr. Gilmour. Another promising officer had 'been compelled to resign bcr position owing to ill-health. The remaining two were Mr. P. L. Armitage and his assistant. A similar arrangement had been working very well in Wellington for the past 10 years. Laet year the fees receivable tor work done by the department's laboratory hero amounted to and thoso collected totalled £659. This was from an institution hardly established. which was in competition with the board's laboratory. The chairman, Mr. W. Wallace, raid that when the proposal was originally made it was suggested that the laboratory should be under the dual control of the department and the board. That, of course, could not be agreed to, and it bad now been agreed that I>r. Gilmour be appointed director of the combined laboratory. Asked if the Government would give a grant toward tho cost of the building required for the new scheme, Dr. Valintinfl said the most the board could expect was a £ for £ babsidy. , Further consideration was deferred w ® special meeting.