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members of the Board for this division, and obtained from him an
authority for the master of the school to give the children a holiday
pending the action of the Board.
The following day this letter was received from Mr. Croad, the
clerk to the Board :—
School Board for London,
Victoria Embankment, W.C.,
7th July, 1884.
OLGA STREET BOARD SCHOOL.
Sir,
I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th instant, enclosing
a formal order of the Sanitary Authority for the closing of the above school.
I have to inform you that the Rota Sub-Committee of the School Management
Committee, having regard to the regulation of the Education Department respecting
the closing of a school by a Sanitary Authority, have directed Dr. Shirley Murphy
to report on the condition of the neighbourhood of the school, and whether he
considers it necessary that the school should be closed. Dr. Murphy has been
requested to commence his inquiry at once.
In the meantime the school will remain closed, and orders have been given for the
thorough disinfection of the caretaker's house.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
G. H. CROAD,
Clerk of the Board.
Dr. G. P. Bate,
Vestry Hall,
Church Row, Bethnal Green, E.
Accordingly, Mr. Shirley Murphy visited and carefully examined
the buildings. I pointed out to him some defects as to the ventilation
and drainage arrangements, which he promised should be remedied;
but the great point in my mind was the thorough disconnection of the
caretaker's house from the school building. Mr. Murphy agreed with
me that it was extremely undesirable that the two should be under
the same roof, and I believe he sent in a strong recommendation to
this effect to the Board. This recommendation has been since carried
out, and a new house has been built to accommodate the caretaker.
These people are usually men with families, amongst whom infectious
disease may at any time break out.
I believe it is only in a few of the first-constructed schools where
this condition of things obtains, and as opportunity serves they are
being altered.
In this particular instance the caretaker's family was removed, the
place was thoroughly cleansed and disinfected, and after an interval