The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1873-02-25 00:00:00

sad paid no Masation to. Looking at their distils is
the several salsas, be comeidered=eould sot per.
form this additional work as it to be dons.
. There were other mesons against their appointment.
Local Maumee would sway very much with them—it
must do—they mold not help it let them bees honest
as ever they would. The local influences ooenected
with their social position and preload:mai standing
lona sway them in the •ZeTOlllll of their duties as
officers of health. Suppose en epidemic broke cut,
there would be an immense deal of sickbays., and their
attendance would be constantly riquired to abate the
cademeen_from whitish it arose so that they must either
orgies* their patients or that; duties as mirelleal oaken
of health. No doubt they would have ad.. regard for
their patients, and neglect their official duties • and
no one mold blame them for it, for Christian
and everything would sway them in that direstian. He
thought that medical officers to many moss bad a wrong
Idea of what the duties would be. and in undertaking
them in many instanees said—We will swept these
oppointmenta though we really doe't know what IN
required to be done. But the orders of the Load
Government Board would be really of a most onerous
and extensive character; and if medical men ocaopt
the appointment' they moot carry them out. He
knew that opinioes had been expressed by medical
&Boers that they could carry out the duties under this
Am in any way they thought proper; but that was •
groat mistake—they would have to adhere to the orders
of the Local Government Board. Only last week one
of the Bonet unions sent to way they had appointed
the menial officers in he thought five districts so
officers of health, but that the medical officers In
amepting the office save them to understand
they were not going to do a single duty pointed
out by the Board. so that the Act would be perfectly
inoperative. lie mentioned that to show what extra.
ordinary ideas some medical officers bed of their duties
under this Act. Others said they should make no
report if appointed unless paid • guinea, and one shil-
ling atoll. travelling expertise., Now the views of the
Loofa Government Board were pretty nearly what he
was stating. They thought, as he had told theta, that
medical 01500 n of unions were not fit and proper
officers under this Act for the reasons he had stated,and
so thoroughly were they movinoed of It that as yet,
although there were mangroves instaages in which the
authorities had pent up motto to the Local Govern-
ment Board stating they had appointed them officers
to be officers of health, the Local Government Board
! bed not sanctioned any such eppointreeste ; nor did
' he think they woad, bemuse be knew that in some
instant/es they bad &damn, put their veto upon it at
meg Boom of the rani authorities had mat to the
Poor Law Board to my they did not want to bays any-
thing to do with the Least Government Board, that
they would appoint their own offio.rs, and did not
want a Government grant. If they appointed lodepeo-
dent men, not connected with the district, it might be
allowed ; but if they appointed their pres 'it mediosl
,ffi nos, be believed • decided veto would to put upon
It. Therefore tho authorities mast look roond and see
what they could do. As to the second point 4 choolug
m officers for e whole union thit simply gat
out 0! one dial lolly into clothe,. If • ono losl uffi,er
couhi not do It aty In his own district, how could
he in five or nix at the same time? That we . not at ..1
• fosuible way of carrying out the Aro. :toeing toe
diflionlUes attending thine two pleat, what would they
fall back upon' The only thing was a aomoinatioa of
rural districts. and ho thought that would briog a
better medical offi rer, be would be more economi-
cal than so many, and the duties would be i
outly po•formed. If they offered a good Wary
they mull get • young moil, educated in the know-
ledge of the present doe, understanding geology, ,
hydraulic+, chemistry, Or., things which it wee
absolutely essential he should know. They might get
an atteive young man of that sort at • very moderate
salary. lie believed the field wee full of suet young
men ready to come forward whoa felled on. He should ,
s•roogly remcomend a combination of unions to carry '
out the Act It would be done et leas "rpm.° than If
they appointed medical offiaers frr their Own districts. :
For Gomm he should advise that the tails crusty be
constituted one district for the appointment of •
medical dilator of health. That he believed would be
the best arrangement ; but if that did not suit the
views of the meeting, let them moulder whether
dividing the county into two would answer. Oao of
them schemes should be adopted. If they took the
whole county, there Irmo twelve ordeal% and he
thought • salary of £lOOO a year would .110.1Ird them •
very corn{ etent offioer. He meant that as the minimum,
became looking at the extent of the county, the
tmelling erosions. sod other matters, he thought
£l,OOO would only just cover Ma orpeoma and put a
little into his pocket. But if they thoseht a division
of the opacity better there would be sit unions in each
district, sod be oonli pot • salary of a5OO a year for
each medieal officer. It teemed that the area .sf the
court, Is 615,783 agree and the population 182198. If
the scheme he suggested were carried out, sod they
paid one medical officer £l,OOO • year, it would amount
toe rate of a little over It in the C, sand ism • moiety
would be paid by Greerionent the rate would not be
touch more than ith or say Itbo(a penny.
Mr. wutiuds: Don't that include the boroughs !
Mr. EiA+LIT : Yes, the whole rateable value of the
county.
A gentleman from Poole union remarked th-d or boo
disoicte sppohateel their own offi ors, nil Poole had
donc eo. _