PUBLIC HEALTH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9535, 6 May 1909, Page 1

PUBLIC HEALTH.

A DEPARTMENT AMALGAMATED. [From Our CowiEsroNDENT.] WELLINGTON, May 5. The details of the scheme of retienchmetit to be carried out by the Government in connection with the Civil Servioe have not yet been made public, but it is understood they will include the amalgamation of the Publio Health Department with that of Hospitals and Charitable Aid, with the In-spector-General of Hospitals (Dr Valintine) at the head. Dr Mason, Chief Health Officer, ifill probably retire. The Department of Publio Health was created as a separate branch of the service by the Act of 1900 { which was the legislative outcome ot the bubonic plague, outbreak in Australia, and its reported appearance in Auckland. As a result there was a tremendous cleaning of- insanitary back yards, the destruction of a large number of insanitary and unwholesome dwellings, the erection of a number of feyer and infectious diseases hospitals, "and a system of registration &nd notification of infectious diseases, and a general cleaning-up-process which has excited in some cases wrath and in some cases great satisfaction among the local bodies and the people concerned. Now, however, under the retrenchment scheme, the Public Health Department will cease to be a separate entity in the Civil Service, end become/ an appanage of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Department. Jt is interesting to note that lost year the general estimates showed a contemplated, expenditure on

the Public Health Department o £38,910, salaries £17,762, other charge £21,148. The officials included a chic health officer, a bacteriologist, a chic clerk, an accountant, thirteen clerks five typists, a storekeeper, seven mes sengers, seven district health officers, s health officer to Maoris, an assistam Native health officer, thirteen sanitary inspectors, eight sanitary insp'ecton (partly paid by "local authorities), pa tnologist, assistant pathologist, -assist ant bacteriologist, four cadets, torn analysts, port health officers ant quarantine . keepers at Welling ton, Port * Chalmers and Lyttelton The travelling expenses and allowance) were put down at £2500, and the cosi of the administration of the Nativ< medical and Ihealth service, at £5700.