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55
CLEANSING OF PERSONS ACT, 1897.
Upon the recommendation of the Health Committee, the late Vestry resolved
on the 21st December, 1898, that the Board of Guardians be asked to carry
out the provisions of the Cleansing of Persons Act, 1897.
The principal provisions of the Act are:—Sec. 1.—On and after the passing
of this Act, any Local Authority shall have the power, when in their discretion
they shall see fit, to permit any person who shall apply to the said
Authority on the ground that he is infected with vermin to have the use, free
of charge, of the apparatus (if any) which the Authority possess for cleansing
the person and his clothing from vermin. The use of such apparatus shall
not be considered to be parochial relief or charitable allowance to the person
using the same, or to the parent of such person, and no such person or parent
shall by reason thereof be deprived of any right or privilege, or be subject to
any disqualification or disability.
Local Authorities may expend any reasonable sum on buildings, appliances,
and attendants that may be required for the carrying out of this Act, and
any expenses for these purposes may be defrayed out of any rate or fund
applicable by the Authority for general sanitary purposes or for the relief of
the poor. Sec.2.—In this Act, "Local Authority" means, in England, the
Council of any County Borough, the District Council of any District, any
Board of Guardians, and, in the County of London, any Sanitary Authority
as defined in the Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
Upon inquiry I was informed that applicants at the Workhouse gate were
referred to the Relieving Officers, and that since 1898 there had been four
or five such applicants.
In order to compare results, I also made enquiries in Marylehone, and
received the following information:—A bath-house and disinfector were
erected adjoining the family shelter and stone-yard between Capland Street
and Grove Road, St. John's Wood, at the commencement of 1898, and the
number of persons who have taken baths and their clothes disinfected has
been 3,306 in 1898 (10 months), 4,340 in 1899, 3,432 in 1900, 4,282 in 1901,
and 4,351 in 1902 (to the 15th December). Of these the Salvation Army
Shelter in Burne Street provided in each of the above years, 3,079, 4,084,
3,168, 3,882, and 3,737 men, the Shaftesbury Institute in Harrow Street
provided 5, 0, 31, 142, and 274 women, and from the common lodging houses
came 222, 256, 233, 258, and 274 men. The men and women that came
were all described as in an unfit condition to go to the public baths.
In St. Pancras there is no Salvation Army Shelter or Shaftesbury Institute,
but there is a larger common lodging house population than in Marylebone,
frequenting the parks and public places equally as much.
I recommended—
1.—That baths be placed in the building adjoining the Disinfecting
Station, and that verminous and uncleanly persons, inadmissible
to the public baths, be admitted to the use of them whilst their
clothes are being disinfected.