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84
It may he observed that baths for the object of cleansing verminous persons,
adults and children, are in a different category to ordinary cleansing or hot
baths. Again, to a different category belong swimming baths intended for
exercise, and morning baths mainly intended as an invigorating tonic and
discipline.
The Cleansing of Persons Act, 1897, empowers the Borough Council to
expand money in providing a cleansing station. The General Powers Act,
1904, enables the Borough Council to deal with the houses. The General
Powers Act, 1907, confers compulsory powers on the County Council for the
removal of verminous school children and verminous inmates of common
lodging-houses to cleansing stations. The Children Act, 1908, enlarges the
powers with regard to school children, and compels the Borough Council to
permit the use of their cleansing station by the local education authority for
the cleansing of school children upon an agreed payment.
Several communications have been received from the London County Council
(Education Department) with regard to the possibility of the Borough Council
arranging definitely to bath verminous children at a fixed charge per head, ill
accordance with the provisions of section 122, sub-section (-3), of the Children
Act, 1908, above mentioned. Ultimately, on the 4th May, 1910, a communication
was received from the London County Council (Education Department),
stating that they had provisionally agreed upon the general outline of the
following scheme for the treatment of children throughout London :—
1. That the cleansing stations provided by the various Metropolitan
Borough Councils should, as far as possible, be utilised by agreement
with the Borough Councils.
2. That the treatment of children should be entirely distinct from any
establishment used for the isolation of suspected cases of infectious
disease contacts.
3. That the exclusive use of the baths for the cleansing of children
should be allowed on certain days.
4. That the cleansing station should be in a convenient position, and
that the children should be efficiently supervised, with female
attendants for the treatment of the girls.
5. That a uniform payment to the Borough Council at the rate of 2s.
per child, irrespective of the number of baths required before a child
can be regarded as cleansed, should be arranged throughout London.
6. That this scheme be subject to the Borough Councils undertaking,
where necessary, to deal with the homes of the children cleansed.
Your Borough Council approved on the 1st June, 1910, that the London
County Council be informed that this Authority are in agreement with the
above outlined scheme provided that the payment of 2s. per child shall not
cover a period of time exceeding two weeks, and that this limitation be added
to paragraph 5 thereof; and that in reference to paragraph 6, it is already the
practice of this Council to deal, where necessary, with the homes of the children
cleansed.