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long distance from Stoke Newington, and he points to the need of a suitable station for this purpose
near the Town Hall.
City of London.—Dr. Collingridge writes that arrangements were made in February, 1907, that
the names and addresses of verminous children should be sent to him, and if after inspection it was
found necessary an Order on the guardians should be granted for cleansing and disinfecting the child.
Southwark.—Dr. Millson reports that a bath room with undressing and waiting rooms together
with disinfectant apparatus and rooms, have been provided adjoining the reception house. Adults
and children are treated at different times in the day. Care is taken that the two sexes shall be bathed
at different times, only children of different sexes under six years of age being allowed to be in the bath
rooms at the same time.
Bermondsey.—Dr. Brown writes that for systematic cleansing of school children the accommodation
is insufficient. There would require, for instance, to be a proper waiting room and an attendant
or two if the children were to be sent in any large number.
Batter sea.—Dr. Lennane points out the desirability of extending this really useful sanitary
work. The resources of the present station are strained to the utmost to cope with the numbers of
applicants requiring to be cleansed," and he suggests the erection of suitable buildings on waste land
adjoining the reception house and belonging to the Borough Council.
Woolwich.—Dr. Davies attributes the smallness of the number of women who resort to the
cleansing station to the fact that there is no female attendant for the bath, the only person in charge
being the man who has the care of the general disinfecting station, and he says the need of a female
attendant for the children, who come in large numbers, is also noticeable, as children often come to the
baths unattended and haye to be refused admission.
There is much need for sanitary authorities to consider very seriously the position in which
London is placed in respect of this subject, which is of grave importance in connection with the health
and moral improvement of the more unfortunate of the population. The helplessness of the class of
persons who suffer from verminous conditions makes it certain that without the aid sanitary
authorities can give under the Cleansing of Persons Act, little progress will be made in the way of
advancement.
There is opportunity for these authorities to inquire into the conditions obtaining in the homes
of children to which their attention is directed by the Education authority, and in this connection the
powers to appoint health visitors conferred by the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1908
are ample. There is power to give opportunity for the cleansing of adult persons and for the disinfection
of the clothes of such persons who may desire to rid themselves of this loathsome condition.
There is power for the County Council to require persons frequenting common lodging-houses and
shelters and who are thus suffering to avail themselves of the opportunities for this purpose, which the
sanitary authorities are authorised to provide, but the first and necessary condition for successful treatment
of these persons is the existence throughout London of properly constructed, arranged, and
equipped stations with the necessary attendants, conveniently situated and made widely known, where
body and clothes can be dealt with. It is difficult to believe that the pressing need of adequate provision
can be fully appreciated when it is recollected that ten years have elapsed since the Cleansing
of Persons Act of 1897 became law, and when it is seen how ill-provided many of the London sanitary
authorities are at the present time with the means for affording assistance to persons in this distressful
condition.
The London Equalisation of Rates Act, 1894.
The Equalisation of Rates Act provides that the London County Council shall in each year
form a fund equal to a rate of sixpence in the pound on the rateable value of London. The contribution
from each parish to the fund is to be in proportion to its rateable value. The fund thus
formed is to be distributed among the sanitary districts in proportion to their population. Where a
sanitary district comprises two or more parishes, and the aggregate of the contributions from such
parishes is less than the grant apportioned to the district, the difference shall be paid out of the
fund to the sanitary authority of the district, and no payment towards any equalisation charge shall
be required from any parish in the district.
Subject to the above, when the contribution from a parish is less than the grant due, the
difference shall be paid out of the fund to the sanitary authority of the district forming or comprising
the parish ; and if it exceeds the grant to the parish, the Council shall, for the special purpose of
meeting the excess, levy on the parish a county contribution as a separate item of the county rate.
Every sum paid to a sanitary authority must be applied in defraying the expenses of the
sanitary authority incurred under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and so far as not required
for that purpose those incurred in respect of lighting, and so far as not required for that purpose
those incurred in respect of streets, and where the sanitary district comprises two or more parishes
the sum paid must be apportioned among such parishes in proportion to their population, and the
amount apportioned to each parish credited to each parish in the reduction of the rate required
from such parish towards the above-mentioned expenses.
The sanitary authority is required to render annually to the Local Government Board a return
showing the amount of the sum to be paid and the total expenses incurred in respect of the three
subjects mentioned.
If the Local Government Board, under section 101 of the Public Health (London) Act, are
satisfied that the sanitary authority have been guilty of such default as in such section mentioned,
and have made an order limiting a time for the performance of the duty of the authority, the London