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33
unable to pay are concerned, it is made clear to them that the care committees will
reduce the charge by 50 per cent., or remit it altogether.
The "slight-treatment" cases in the dental departments, in which the charge of
1s. is made, numbered, in 1933, 13,393 an increase on the figures for 1932, when they
amounted to 12,510.
No charge is made for refraction of the eyes in the case of defective vision.
This is looked upon as an extension of medical inspection rather than as treatment.
The cost of spectacles however in the case of children attending elementary
schools (but not special schools where the Council bears the cost) falls upon the
parents, assisted where necessary from voluntary funds.
London
Central
Spectacles
Committee.
The care of the children in this respect is supervised by the voluntary London
Central Spectacles Committee, who, in their twelfth annual report, for 1932, pointed
out that throughout a year of exceptional difficulty the local spectacles committees
have carried on their work; and, in spite of the general depression and the consequent
falling off of subscriptions and donations, only three calls were made upon the
central fund, one of which was to start a new committee.
The figure for that year showed a drop in the number of spectacles obtained ;
this was disappointing, but understandable in view of the bad times. The percentage
88.6 of the spectacles ordered, was the lowest since 1926, and it was hoped that the
lost ground would be regained in the succeeding year.
It was considered that the fall in the number might be accounted for to some
extent by the present fashion for Windsor frames (a mixture of rolled gold and shell),
which are more expensive and are very attractive to the older children, many of
whom refuse to wear the ordinary nickelled-steel. There is a growing demand for
these luxury frames, and this frequently delays the supply of the spectacles for
several weeks when the parents cannot afford to pay the money down, as spectacles
committees will not give loans or grants in these cases. Every effort is made to
dissuade the parents from this unnecessary extravagance, but the child is often the
deciding factor.

The local spectacles committee is usually a sub-committee of the local association
of care committees.
The help given takes the form of a loan or a grant (or both), according to the
circumstances of the case. Parents requiring help apply to the care committee, who
make the application to the spectacles committee and are responsible for the
collection and repayment of loans.
Subscribers to certain organisations can obtain help to pay for spectacles. These
organisations are the Hospital Sunday Fund, which requires a letter of recommendation
from the vicar of the parish or the minister of the free church; the Hospital
Saturday Fund, which requires the subscriber to obtain a letter of recommendation