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Housing
38
PUBLIC
I t would appear to be reasonable to ask the Local Government Board what conditions are, in the opinion of the Board, required specially to make " actuarially sound " a scheme for medical officers of health which are not necessary when dealing with Poor Law officers, Asylums officers, and the few medical officers of health who are entitled to superannuation under local Acts. Of course none of these s c h e m e s i s self-supporting: there must be some provision from p u n i c funds. Superannuation is essentially deferred pay, and if no contributions were required from public funds there would be no necessity for legislation on the subject. Quite recently teachers have secured superannuation, and with them those local officers dealing with education (directors of education, etc.) have been included in the scheme. The time therefore is by no means inopportune for a special effort to be made on behalf of the medical officers of health, and a good beginning has been made by the " Executive Committee " of the Society of Medical Officers of Health in preparing the evidence which has been given before the " Departmental Committee on the Superannuation of Persons employed by Local Authorities " by the President of the Society, and which is printed in this issue. We have every confidence that the Society will press forward this matter with sufficient force to bring it rapidly to a successful conclusion. I n January, I9I 5, the Council of the British Medical Association instructed its Public Health Committee to proceed with the drafting of a Bill for the superannuation of medical officers of health based upon the lines of the Civil Service Superannuation Act, but we understand that up to the present no further action has been taken. Possibly a joint campaign might now be undertaken with success. HOUSING. Apparently the housing problem is becoming more and more involved, and the whole housing scheme of the country up to the present, so far as can be ascertained, exists only on paper. Few, if any, districts have secured sites, and still less have final building plans prepared, and in practice we are no nearer to making good the " million cottages " shortage than we were a year ago. Probably not a quarter of the 300,000 cottages which were aimed at during the first year's output in England and Wales alone will get built during I919.
JANUARY,
HEALTH.
UNPAID WORK FOR MEDICAL OFFICERS. The Board of Education has recently suggested additional work for School Medical Officers without proposing any additional remuneration. In a recent circular addressed to Local Education Authorities, the Board asks Local Education Authorities if they are willing to place their School Medical Officers at the disposal of the Board for the purpose of examining discharged soldiers who wish to be trained as elementary school teachers. It is an unfortunate habit of Government Departments to issue orders or circulars imposing or suggesting additional duties for Medical Officers without referring to the question of payment for such services, ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL. The attention of aH members of the Society, and particularly of those members who may be candidates for the post, is directed to the statement concerning the vacant position of Medical Officer of Health for Essex which has been prepared by the Finance and Journal Sub-Committee, and a copy of which has been forwarded to the Essex County Council. SUPERANNUATION. S U M M A R Y OF EVIDENCE PROPOSED TO BE GIVEN BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY OF MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH (PROFESSOR H. R. K E N W 0 0 D , C.M.G., M.B., D.P.H., F.R.S.E.), BEFORE THE D~PARTI~ENTAL COMMITTEE ON THE SUPERANNUATION OF PERSONS EMPLOYED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
(I) It iS not proposed to express any views with reference to the details of finance and general working of a scheme of superannuation, (2) The Society of Medical Officers of Health embraces within its membership those medical officers who serve Local Sanitary and Educational Authorities; and the opportunity is desired of making a statement upon the claims of all such officials for superannuation. (3) These medical officers deeply resent the injustice to which they have been subjected by the failure to extend to them the advantages possessed by other medical officials. Superannuation schemes are in force for medical officers directly connected with the Civil Service, the Poor L a w , and Asylums. The Royal Sanitary Commission of 1869 attach great importance to this provision being made for medical officers of health, and more than one Bill proposing to make this provision has been before the House of Commons since I9oI--the last Bill having been set down for second reading on April I8th, 1913. (4) Having regard to the exceptional expenditure of time and money involved in obtaining the
PUBLIC
I t would appear to be reasonable to ask the Local Government Board what conditions are, in the opinion of the Board, required specially to make " actuarially sound " a scheme for medical officers of health which are not necessary when dealing with Poor Law officers, Asylums officers, and the few medical officers of health who are entitled to superannuation under local Acts. Of course none of these s c h e m e s i s self-supporting: there must be some provision from p u n i c funds. Superannuation is essentially deferred pay, and if no contributions were required from public funds there would be no necessity for legislation on the subject. Quite recently teachers have secured superannuation, and with them those local officers dealing with education (directors of education, etc.) have been included in the scheme. The time therefore is by no means inopportune for a special effort to be made on behalf of the medical officers of health, and a good beginning has been made by the " Executive Committee " of the Society of Medical Officers of Health in preparing the evidence which has been given before the " Departmental Committee on the Superannuation of Persons employed by Local Authorities " by the President of the Society, and which is printed in this issue. We have every confidence that the Society will press forward this matter with sufficient force to bring it rapidly to a successful conclusion. I n January, I9I 5, the Council of the British Medical Association instructed its Public Health Committee to proceed with the drafting of a Bill for the superannuation of medical officers of health based upon the lines of the Civil Service Superannuation Act, but we understand that up to the present no further action has been taken. Possibly a joint campaign might now be undertaken with success. HOUSING. Apparently the housing problem is becoming more and more involved, and the whole housing scheme of the country up to the present, so far as can be ascertained, exists only on paper. Few, if any, districts have secured sites, and still less have final building plans prepared, and in practice we are no nearer to making good the " million cottages " shortage than we were a year ago. Probably not a quarter of the 300,000 cottages which were aimed at during the first year's output in England and Wales alone will get built during I919.
JANUARY,
HEALTH.
UNPAID WORK FOR MEDICAL OFFICERS. The Board of Education has recently suggested additional work for School Medical Officers without proposing any additional remuneration. In a recent circular addressed to Local Education Authorities, the Board asks Local Education Authorities if they are willing to place their School Medical Officers at the disposal of the Board for the purpose of examining discharged soldiers who wish to be trained as elementary school teachers. It is an unfortunate habit of Government Departments to issue orders or circulars imposing or suggesting additional duties for Medical Officers without referring to the question of payment for such services, ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL. The attention of aH members of the Society, and particularly of those members who may be candidates for the post, is directed to the statement concerning the vacant position of Medical Officer of Health for Essex which has been prepared by the Finance and Journal Sub-Committee, and a copy of which has been forwarded to the Essex County Council. SUPERANNUATION. S U M M A R Y OF EVIDENCE PROPOSED TO BE GIVEN BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY OF MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH (PROFESSOR H. R. K E N W 0 0 D , C.M.G., M.B., D.P.H., F.R.S.E.), BEFORE THE D~PARTI~ENTAL COMMITTEE ON THE SUPERANNUATION OF PERSONS EMPLOYED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
(I) It iS not proposed to express any views with reference to the details of finance and general working of a scheme of superannuation, (2) The Society of Medical Officers of Health embraces within its membership those medical officers who serve Local Sanitary and Educational Authorities; and the opportunity is desired of making a statement upon the claims of all such officials for superannuation. (3) These medical officers deeply resent the injustice to which they have been subjected by the failure to extend to them the advantages possessed by other medical officials. Superannuation schemes are in force for medical officers directly connected with the Civil Service, the Poor L a w , and Asylums. The Royal Sanitary Commission of 1869 attach great importance to this provision being made for medical officers of health, and more than one Bill proposing to make this provision has been before the House of Commons since I9oI--the last Bill having been set down for second reading on April I8th, 1913. (4) Having regard to the exceptional expenditure of time and money involved in obtaining the