PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 1039 
old. Yet in England, recently, departures have had to be made 
from the principle, especially in matters of public health. Local 
self-government covers many things in the management of the 
common affairs of a community ; but it has been clearly shown 
that it utterly fails to bring about, in local authorities in Australia, 
an appreciation of the objects legislation seeks to secure in the 
control of communicable disease. 
The State must assume this responsibility. It alone possesses 
the means of organising the necessary skill, experience, and 
aptitude required to meet all the contingencies arising in the 
course of an outbreak of infectious diseases among the pubtic, and 
further, of enforcing the law. The sooner the position is taken, 
so much the sooner will the public see and appreciate the creat 
work that is being done for them; so soon, too, will the Tocal 
health authorities realise that they are not called upon to under- 
take responsibilities which many of them have declared to be 
outside their functions. They will come to feel, under such new 
conditions, that the branches of the public health administration 
are equitably divided between the State and themselves, and in 
this conviction will the more heartily fulfil the duties appointed 
to them. In mutual co-operation the two authorities will work 
together, and will doubtless succeed in bringing about a condition 
of the public health, of which every sanitarian will be proud. 
For the starting point of all this, we must rely upon the intelli- 
gence, the patriotism, and earnestness of our legislators. I appeal 
for a comprehensive consideration of this question, realising that 
if they once see its urgency, and become roused to the sense of 
deep responsibility that lies with them, to introduce better and 
more effective legislation, it will speedily come about ; and once 
accomplished, no service to their country will bring them greater 
satisfaction, and no labour they could give will, reap for the 
community a handsomer or more permanent reward. 
One word further. Shortly after this address was written, my 
attention was directed to an address delivered at the British 
Medical Congress in Montreal, by Dr. Hermann Biggs, of New 
York. Iwas delighted beyond measure to find that the views 
expressed in the address now delivered to you had found practical 
and striking embodiment in the hygienic and sanitary management 
of that great city of two-and-half million inhabitants. Dr. Biggs’ 
address is an able defence of the position. 
