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146
it suffers from the inherent defects of any contributory system—
it does not help the most necessitous. Many millions of (noninsured)
persons do not come under the Act, except in so far as
Sanatorium Benefit may be extended to those who are dependents
of insured persons.
The income of the Local Insurance Committee is not likely
to be sufficient to provide for the treatment in Sanatoria for the
dependents of insured persons, and it may fail to provide other
benefits which are contemplated by the Act (as, for instance,
the medical treatment which the Committee are empowered to
provide gratuitously for deposit contributors whose credit is
exhausted). But if the Local Committee finds that its Funds do
not permit of the discharge of its duties under the Act, it may
apply to the Treasury and to the County or Borough Council
for permission to incur extra expenditure, and if the Treasury
and County Council approve of such expenditure they must each
pay to the Local Insurance Committee one-half of the amount
required. The Insurance Committees, which are independent of
the Local Authorities, and which yet exercise duties overlapping
or closely related to those of Local Authorities, constitute
a newly created authority which may add some confusion in the
work of the Public Health, Poor Law and Educational Authorities.
As has been pointed out, the Consumptive child of an insured
father is eligible for gratuitous treatment at the present time
from five different and independent agencies, none of whom
(except the Education and Health Authorities) may have
information of what the others are doing, unless there is to be a
close co-operation of the Committee with the various Local
Authorities.
FOOD AND DRUGS.
Under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 156 samples of food
and drugs were taken and analysed. The results are shown in
Table IX.