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Council, and it was agreed that a dressing room should be provided,
and that the maximum number of children attended to each day
should not exceed 35 for scabies and 40 for others. Further, that the
London County Council would guarantee an annual minimum of £500.
A second bath was also provided later on at the order of the Public
Health Committee, together with a new copper.
It must be admitted, considering the wages bill, that the
London County Council have not done badly in the bargain they
made with Camberwell.
The dual control, to which I drew attention last year, still
exits. and it is devoutly to be hoped that before many years the
cleansing stations for schools Will be run by the Education
Authority.
As is usually the case, there was a crop of requests to be relieved
of some of the requirements of the London County Council by-laws.
Each was considered on its merits, but as nearly all of them related
to the weight of soil pipes proposed to be used where the supporting
walls had seen their best days, they were usually granted.
The question of the administration of the Rat Orders has come
up in many ways, and I was appointed to represent the Council at
the meeting at Birmingham of those concerned in the subject.
The energies of this Council, however, have been chiefly directed
towards the supply of poison to persons, in most cases gratuitously,
who allege that they are suffering from the attentions of these pests.
The Orders of course put the onus on the occupiers, but these are
not, as in some riparian authorities, large wharfingers, etc., but are
usually dwellers in small and old Weekly property. To the former
some charge could be made, but to the latter it would be gratuitous,
but only after the circumstances of the case had been investigated
by the Inspector of the district. The appointment of a special
officer does not seem the best way to deal with the subject, but
rather the co-operation between this department and that of the
Engineer in the way of repairing drains that are defective and
old disused pipes, which so often provide nests for the animals.
People have also been cautioned as to the attraction there is in food
being left about, and in untidy and ill-swept conditions of rooms.
It was left to two Councillors and myself to hold a rat week in the
Borough; we duly met, but partly owing to my subsequent leave of
absence the matter was postponed.
The Borough Council was approached by the Chelsea
authorities with a view of getting the London County Council to
reinstate measles in the list of notifiable diseases, but after an
adverse report from myself they decided to take no action.
A decision which is rarer than it should be was taken in regard
to an owner who was also the occupier of a house in Camberwell,
He was not financially in a position to do the work, and made the
offer that if the Council did the work he would pay for it by
instalments. The Committee agreed to this.
The cinemas received attention at the hands of Dr. Barnes, and
a thorough inspection was made of all of them. In consequence of
this the owners of several were informed that unless necessary