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agreed with me that disinfectants should be provided for use
in its schools by the School Board, and a letter to that effect was
addressed to the Clerk to the Board. This letter having been
considered by the Works Committee, the Clerk to the Board
replied to it, stating that "in the opinion of the Committee
it is unnecessary to use disinfectants in the schools of the
Board, and they have, therefore, refused to supply them."
"If, however," the letter continued, "the Vestry think it
desirable that disinfectants should be used in Board Schools,
and are prepared to supply them, the Committee will offer
no objection to their doing so." The Sanitary Committee
directed a further communication to be addressed to the
Board, throwing upon that body and its Works Committee
the responsibility of the above decision, which, whatever may
be said in its favour on grounds of so-called "economy," does
not show much enlightenment from the sanitary point of view.
It is, however, in consonance with the "Code of instructions
for the guidance of school-keepers," issued by the Works
Committee ; section 81 of which reads as follows:—" Schoolkeepers
are not supplied with disinfectants, as the Committee
are of opinion that if the troughs, urinals, and w.c.'s are
systematically and thoroughly flushed the use of
disinfectants will be unnecessary."
The School Board, or rather the Works Committee,
raised objections to certain requirements of the Sanitary
Committee for the provision of sparge-pipes with automatic
flushing tanks for the urinals at some of the Board Schools.
Ultimately, however, the required alterations were carried out,
and I believe I am correct in stating that the Works Committee,
equally with the teachers and others, are well satisfied
with the result.