PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL
Hon. A.H. Panton,
Minister for Health,
PERTH.
Dear Sir,
Since making my application for appointment as Commissioner of Health, Western Australia, in response to an inadequate summary of conditions circulated through AAMC channels, my attention has been drawn to certain alleged misunderstandings between yourself and my predecessor. The points at issue, I am led to believe involved salary, the standing of the Commissioner as Head of the Department and the functions of the office. Whether correctly or not I am informed that you for your part expressed surprised that Dr. Park did not fully acquaint himself with these details before accepting office. This must be the basis of my apology to you for approaching you on the matter at this stage.
I believe that in the appointment, with the offer which you have honoured me, there are scope and opportunity for outstanding public service. I feel that in this office I should be able to assist you in the post war years to provide Western Australia with a medical and health service which could be at once a model for the Commonwealth and an enduring monument to your administration.
Such an opportunity has been my life’s ambition and to secure it I am prepared to acquiesce in the separation from my family and the financial loss which acceptance will I fear involve.
I should perhaps explain that my sons are studying in the profession and there being no Medical School in Perth, will have to remain in Sydney. Economic conditions will require that their Mother and my daughter remain with them. I shall therefore be under the necessity of maintaining two establishments on a salary similar to that I already receive for my appointment with the Commonwealth in Sydney.
You will readily appreciate, Sir, that whilst I am prepared to make these sacrifices, in pursuit of my objective of public service, I should seriously reconsider my position if the office to which I am appointed does not in fact offer the opportunities I visualise. I could not, for example, accept an office in which I should merely an official engaged in routine duties of a minor administrative character nor one in which a lay public service could effectually suppress my professional initiative and activity. I could not brook my administrative functions being limited to delegated duties of relative unimportance.
The suggestion has been made Sir, that the fears expressed in the preceding paragraph are not without foundation. My apologies are due for raising these questions at this late hour and I freely offer them, but you will readily understand that precise information on these points is completely unobtainable in forward areas. You will, I have no doubt, agree that if these uncertainties are in my mind, now is the time in the interests of both parties, for me to voice them.
I should therefore be deeply grateful if you would be so good as to enlighten me and give me assurances upon the following points:-
Should I as Commissioner –
(a) without prior approval of a lay officer have direct access to the Minister on all matters affecting Medical service and Public Health including organisation, the initiation of legislation and the making of appointments.
(b) be in complete control of the HQ staff engaged in connection with Health administration and be solely responsible under the Minister for the administration of the Health Act throughout the State.
(c) be solely responsible to the Minister for all matters relating to-
- professional management and relationships
- equipment
- accommodation in and provision of hospitals, clinics and the like.
(d) in order to ease my financial and domestic difficulties, could my salary be raised to £1,500 p.a. (subject to possible revision upwards if and when professional salaries are reviewed) during my first year of service if I am found satisfactory as Commissioner.
Finally Sir, may I express my deep appreciation of the signal honour you have accorded me by selecting me for appointment.
Yours respectfully,
Cecil Cook
Lt. Col.