1893-1894 - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

74 NORTH CAROLINA BOARD OF HEALTH.
their choice of his successor by letter to the Secretary.
course
That
was taken and Dr. John Whitehead, of Salisbury^
was unanimously elected to fill the vacancy. The letters
are on tile in the office of the Board.
Dr. J. T. Smith, Superintendent of Health of Perquimans
county, one of the leading physicians of his count}' and a
worthy Christian gentleman, passed away in October, having
been stricken with fatal illness very soon after his election
on the first Monday in September. After waiting a
reasonable time and hearing nothing of the election or
appointment of any one to fill the vacancy, I addressed a
circular-letter to the physicians of the county and a similar
notice to the non-professional members of the County Board,
notifying them to attend a meeting for the election of a successor
to Dr. Smith.
On the 6th of December I received a very courteous letter
from Mr. J. H. Blount, of Hertford, the able Solicitor of
the First District, stating that at the meeting called as abovo
Dr. J. W. Speight was elected. That the Board of County
Commissioners had previously elected Dr. McMuUan. That
a majority of those eligible to membership in the County
Board was not present at this meeting nor at that which
elected Dr. Smith in the first instance.
That he wished to^
settle the contest between the two gentlemen named.
presented these three questions "
: 1. If a Superintendent is
elected and there is a vacanc}^ what provision or authority is
thereto fill the vacancy? 2. What provision or authority
is there to call a meeting of County Boards of Health on
any other day than that designated by the act? 3. AVhat
power or
He
authority has less than a majority of the County
Board of Health to elect a Superintendent?" and asked that
the Attorney General be requested to pass upon them.
The following is an abstract of my reply : No provision for
filling vacancies was made in the law. In the absence of