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99
Our biggest problem still remains unsolved, namely, the provision
of suitable employment for patients who are unfitted for ordinary work.
There are isolated instances where efforts are being made to meet
the difficulty, such as the Spero Leather Works in Holborn. One
gathers that these efforts are satisfactory generally, from all but a
financial point of view; the reason for the lack of extension of such
schemes is therefore obvious. The number of men employed at the
Spero factory is strictly limited. We count ourselves fortunate in
having been offered a vacancy this year for one patient.
The ideal solution of the difficulty would appear to be the Village
Settlement Scheme as in existence at Papworth Colony. This we
understand is a success even from the financial side, if we disregard
the initial outlay, which is a great achievement. To hear the founder
and head of the colony, Dr. Varrier-Jones lecture on this scheme is an
education, and it is difficult for the listener to remain unconverted. It
would take too much space to even touch on the features of this
wonderful place, but anyone sufficiently interested can follow up the
matter for themselves. There, too, we have just one patient, a girl
aged 23 years, who was transferred to the Village Settlement side,
after a period of treatment, on 20th July, 1926, there being no hope
that she would be able to work if she returned to live under ordinary
conditions in London. When her home surroundings are considered
in conjunction with her state of health it will be obvious that the
position would have been hopeless. She would have had to share
a bedroom with her mother and two sisters, the only arrangement
possible with two bedrooms available for six adults. The girl is not,
even under the ideal conditions under which she is now living, able
to work more than six hours a day at upholstering. She is, however,
earning 25s. a week, she boards with a family living in a cottage in
the Settlement at a cost of 20s. a week, and her family between
them help her with clothing. This patient is now practically selfsupporting.
If she had returned home we should have been compelled
to ask the Guardians to assist, the family being in bad
circumstances owing to the father's irregular employment. When, as
happens so often, the settler is a husband and father earning sufficient
to maintain himself and family, the true economy of the scheme is
obvious. It is to be hoped that the usefulness of this method of dealing
with our problem will be fully recognised, and that means will be found
to start other settlements.