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17
London County Council,
County Hall, Spring Gardens, S.W.,
1st March, 1907
Sir,
At the conference of representatives of Metropolitan Borough
Councils on the administration of the Public Health (London) Act,
1891, convened by the Council in July, 1904, one of the resolutions
passed was as follows:—
That, having regard to the declining birth rate and the large
infantile mortality rate of the Metropolis, it is desirable that the
Metropolitan Borough Councils should be empowered, at their
discretion, to provide in their respective districts, depots for the
preparation and sale of sterilised and humanised milk for the
food of infants, and that the London County Council be requested
to insert a clause in its General Powers Bill for the Session of
1905, to confer such power upon the said Borough Councils.
Subsequent correspondence with the Borough Councils on the
matter resulted in a general approval of the proposal to confer powers
upon them to maintain milk depots, and the Council has accordingly
inserted clauses in its General Powers Bill of this Session with a view
to obtaining the necessary powers. The Council now learns that
some of the Borough Councils, who have petitioned against the Bill,
object to Part VI. of the Bill, which contains the clauses in question,
and that there is moreover considerable opposition on the part of the
London milk trade to the proposed legislation. In the circumstances
the Council is of opinion that Part VI. of the Bill should not be
further proceeded with until an opportunity is taken of consulting the
whole of the Metropolitan Borough Councils on the matter. I am
accordingly directed to ask that you will be so good as to favour me
as soon as possible with the views of the Council of the Metropolitan
Borough of Poplar as to the desirableness of proceeding with
Part VI. of the Council's General Powers Bill this Session.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
G. L. GOMME,
Clerk to the Council.
The Town Clerk,
Metropolitan Borough of Poplar.
The Committee were of opinion it is desirable, in order to secure a
reduction in infant mortality in London, that the powers proposed should