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210
Concern was expressed not only with regard to the disparity
between notifications and deaths from tuberculosis but also the
lack of public facilities for the treatment of this disease. The
subject of the provision of a sanatorium for the area was referred
to the Metropolitan Asylums Board who indicated that it would
take no action unless authorised by the Local Government
Board.
A recommendation for the establishment of a Municipal
Milk Depot to supply clean humanised milk, principally as a
measure to reduce infant mortality, was accepted by the Council
and a request to the London County Council to include a clause
to this effect in their next General Powers Act was made
accordingly.
In November, 1904, a conference of local authorities was
held at County Hall to discuss methods to be adopted to prevent
the spread of infection by vagrants. A resolution to give local
authorities greater powers of control over such matters was
carried as was a request to the London Government Board to
set up "labour bureaux" and "labour colonies" and to give the
Guardians parental powers over children of habitual vagrants.
Such sentiments were to be conveyed to the Government Committee
on the Vagrancy Question.
Inter alia, powers were given to Sanitary Authorities under
the L.C.C. (General Powers) Act, 1904, to cleanse filthy or
unwholesome articles or verminous houses.
A Night Census of Homeless Poor conducted at the request
of the L.C.C. on 17th February, 1905, failed to discover any
persons sleeping out in any part of the Borough. To exclude the
possibility of a "freak" result, arrangements were made for the
Police to carry out similar surveys in the week preceeding and
the week after the appointed day but the outcome was the same.
Chief matters requiring attention as outlined by the Medical
Officer of Health in his report for 1905 were, "firstly, the
adoption of whatever measures are possible to check infant
mortality; secondly, adopting whatever measures are practical
for obviating the flooding with sewage of houses built on lowlying
land; thirdly, the provision of more up-to-date arrangements
for disposing of house refuse; fourthly, an increase in the
staff of Inspectors in this Department; together with, fifthly, the
adoption of more efficient means for ventilating the main sewers
running through the Borough in order to obviate the serious
pollution of the atmosphere which is particularly noticeable in
the warmer weather".