Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 17 October 1890
Appointment of Vaccination Officer for Conisboro’ District.
Lively Proceedings.
There was an extraordinary meeting of guardians at the Board-room, Doncaster, on Saturday.
The reason of this was the knowledge that a successor would that day have to be appointed to Dr Hills, who had formerly held the position of vaccination officer for the Conisborough district.
The chair was talon by Mr. F. Bacon Frank, and amongst those present were—Mr. James Montagu, J.P. (Melton Hall), Mr. G. Walker, J.P., Major Johnson, J.P. (Conisborough), Messrs. Boomer (Edlington), Crawshaw (Warmsworth), Chambers (Denaby Main ), Schofield and Stenton (Mex. Borough).
After the transaction of the preliminary business the Chairman read the applications for the vacant vaccinatorship. They were from Dr. Twigs, Dr. McCall, and Dr. English (Mexborough).
Mr. Gibson rose and proposed that Dr. McCall have the post. Mr. Tate suggested that the voting had better be in the usual way, and that the one who secured the highest number should recommended to the Local Government Board for appointment.
Mr. Masters: These gentlemen do not say where they live. Are they practising in the Conisborough district?
Mr. Tate: And are they practising on their own behalf, or are merely assistants to other surgeons?
The Chairman: I cannot tell you.
Mr. Masters: Are they here?
The Clerk (Mr. F. E. Nicholson): No.
Mr Masters: We cannot deal with the question unless we know where they have been employed, and whether they are practising on their own behalf.
Mr. Crawshaw: Mr. Twigg is a partner with Dr Sykes.
Mr. Masters: A partner?
Mr. Crawshaw: I think so.
Mr. Bisat: According to Dr. Twigg’s application he is the only qualified candidate in Conisborough. Yet two applications are addressed “Conisborough” Which are we to take?
The Chairman: Are they qualified?
The Clerk: I have looked carefully into the Act. Two are doubly qualified, and one is a licenciate of the College of Surgeons—Mr. Twigg I am under the impression that be is qualified. He has not the double qualification under the Poor Act, but under the Medical Act of he is entitled to practise. I should let that question be settled by ilia Local Government Board but there seems a doubt about it.
Mr. Masters: Is he practising for himself?
The Chairman : it does not say what he is doing.
Mr. Boomer: He is an assistant with Dr. Sykes, and lives at Conisborough.
Mr. Masters: Is he a qualified practitioner? We must understand whether he is fully qualified for vaccination work.
The Chairman: He says, “I hold a certificate of proficiency for vaccination, granted by the Privy Council
Mr. Masters: That is not sufficient in itself.
The Chairman There are no testimonials from him at all, and none from Dr. McCall.
The Clerk: Oh yes, I have the original copies. Bosh the other two possess the double qualification under the Poor Law Order, as far as I can tell.
The Chairman: Mr. Twigg says he holds a certificate of proficiency granted by the Privy Council’. A man would hardly state that in writing, unless that was a fact. No man would dare to state that as a candidate for a public office —that he holds a certificate of proficiency, unless he really did so. I do not think anyone dare do it.
The Clerk : He will have to produce it.
Mr. Chambers (rising): Allow me to state that I had influential deputation wait upon me.
The Chairman Yes, I was going to read this document or put if before the board.
Mr. Chambers: Yes.
The Chairman: There are two petitions—one from the inhabitants of Conisborough and Denaby.
Mr. Boomer: You can’t read that. They have no power here
The Chairman (emphatically): There is no reason why they should not be presented.
Mr. Masters: No, it is perfectly justified.
The Chairman : One is from the ratepayers and inhabitants of Conisborough and Denaby. It explains that the position of pubic vaccinator is vacant through the resignation of Doctor Hills. and respectfully requests the board to appoint no-one who is not a resident in the distract. It states that Mr. Twigg is the gentleman who possesses their confidence and regard, and that that would be the most satisfactory appointment for them. There is another petition in favour of the same gentleman. It looks as though one was a continuation of the other. I think that is all we need do. We have received the petitions and there we are. Mr. Twigg lives in the district.
Mr. Gibson : Who has the petition been got by? Has it been canvassed?
The Chairman : I know nothing about it.
Mr. Chambers: I think I can give you a little information about it. A large deputation waited on me and asked me to use my influence with the board—at least to put their wishes before the board, which is the only mouthpiece they have. They asked me to say that it would give great satisfaction if you favourably considered Mr. Twigg’s application and appointed him for the post. They told me that they had themselves got up a petition to present to you, and that it had been taken all round Denaby Main. The number of the inhabitants is upwards of 2,600, and they got a signature at every house where they called at. They had also been around Conisborough, and had no refusals. But they had not had time to get as many as they might otherwise have done, as t they were rather late in the day. But they said there seemed to be a great feeling of indignation amongst the people concerning the way vaccination had been carried on before, and they thought that one of the applicatons that day was simply an evasion of the instructions sent down from the Local Government Board to terminate Dr. Hills’ contract. The inhabitants would very much like someone else to be appointed, as they thought that, by pointing an assistant of Dr. Hills’, the same thing would prevail as previously.
The Chairman : Are either of these gentlemen assistant?
Mr. Chambers : Dr. Twigg is a partner with Dr. Sykes. Dr. McCall is an assistant of Dr. Hills, and he is resident in Kilnhurst, about three miles away from Conisborough, and he is only known to very few of the inhabitants of Conisborough—and not at all known in Denaby I think. If he has dated his letter from Conisborough, he him only been enabled to do it within the last day or two. Whether this bloody all
Mr. Crawshaw: He has taken a house in Conisborough. I should like to ask Mr. Chambers whether those who have signed these petitions knew anything about Mr. Twigg.
Mr. Chambers: Yes, they do. He has been mixing them and practising for three years, and is intimately known to all of them.
Mr. Walker: Dr. McCall has taken a house in Conisborough, and will be a resident there immediately. He came to me to see if I would let him have a house, but I had not one at liberty at the time. He has taken another house.
Mr. Masters: How long ago?
Mr. Walker: I cannot tell you; during the last few weeks.
The Chairman : Lately.
Mr. Masters: For the purpose of getting the situation?
Mr. Boomer: With regard to that petition, they have been very careful as to the houses they have gone to—they haven’t been to mine. (Laughter).
The Chairman remarked that the election had better be proceeded with.
The voting was as follows :
For Dr. McCall 26
For Dr. Twigg 14
For Dr. English 0
Mr. Edgar then remarked: It appears to me to be simply electing Mr. Hills again, if Mr. McCall gets it.
The Chairman: It looks like it.
Mr. Edgar: And that will be like a slap in the face to the Local Government Board.
Mr. Masters: We should have to state his occupation to the Local Government Board—that is, he is assistant to Doctor Hills.
Mr. Chambers. That is just it.
Mr. Boomer: Dr. McCall will be appointed as a properly certificated medical man, and will attend to the vaccination himself—not Dr. Hills. Mr. Hills will have nothing to do with it.
Mr. Gibson observed that Mr. Twigg, who was only of 25 years growth, was not a proper person for the vaccination work.
The Chairman: Do not waste our time with a joke of that sort. We must proceed with the election. The final voting was then taken between Dr. Twigs and Dr. McCall, and it ended as previously the latter securing the highest number of votes.
Messrs. Chambers, Schofield and Stanton were amongst those who voted for Dr. Twigg, but Messrs. Montagu, Johnson, Walker, Boomer. Ciawshaw, and the majority of the guardians supported Dr. McCall.
The Chairman then said: This appointment does not rest entirely with us. The Clerk will have to notify the Local Government Board on the matter, and we shall have to get their sanction
Mr Masters hello know where USA sharps all right I can only in the she is awaiting said the Clerk would have to intimate the actual position.
Clerk: There are the printed forms, and they must be answered in the proper way.