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the hop-pickers often preferred to use a camp fire just outside the doorway. Some
used oil stoves inside their huts and, although burns and scalds were less frequent
during this season than is usual, there is always present an element of danger. One
mother, amongst the cases investigated, was so frightened by the danger that she
brought her children away quite suddenly, solely on that account. At Staplehurst
three children were burnt to death in a hop-picker's hut, owing to the straw being
set alight by a naked candle.
The effects of "hop-eye" and "hop-rash" (described later by Dr. Beatrice
Smithies) were apparent in a few of the children, and the care visitors were told by
the parents that in some cases the children could not be permitted to approach the
bins because they were attacked by rashes or running eyes if they did so. In very
many cases, however, the parents were enthusiastic about the kindness and care
bestowed upon them by the farmers' families and the solicitude with which their
wants were attended to. In nearly all cases the opinion was that things have
greatly improved during recent years.
In the hop gardens.—A casual inspection of conditions in the hop gardens during
the season gave the impression of crowds of people enjoying with jollity and happiness
the overflowing sun and the delights of country existence. Close examination of
the conditions, however, revealed such a diversity of practice in the different farms
and areas as to be startling.
A conference for the discussion of the health of hop-pickers and sanitation of
encampments was organised by the Royal Sanitary Institute on Friday and Saturday,
13th and 14th April, 1928. This was attended by a number of medical officers,
representatives of hop growers and social workers. Drs. J. G. Forbes and E. J.
Boome of the Council's Public Health Department were present. A paper was read
by Dr. A. Greenwood, the Medical Officer of Health of Kent, who pointed out that there
was ample machinery for ensuring satisfactory conditions, but the difficulty lay in
enforcing the application of this machinery. The enforcement depended upon
the rural district councils, and some of these tended to show leniency in the
administration of the by-laws. For example, in one district, although the recent
by-laws of the Ministry of Health had been adopted, the clause referring to the
minimum sanitary convenience had been omitted. He held strongly that these
by-laws should be adopted in toto. More than half the total hop gardens in England
and Wales were situated in Kent, and this meant an immigration of over 70,000,
probably 100,000, workers into the hop gardens. This gave the public health
authorities great concern as to the prevention of epidemics. The serious epidemic
of 1897 was due to the pollution of water from a hop-picking encampment. Last
summer there were many sources of pollution present, which, if there had happened
to be typhoid infection, might have caused a series of epidemics. He thought that
in future legislation there should be compulsory registration of encampments, with
annual licences in each case, such licences only to be granted if the provisions
made before occupation should satisfy the district council concerned.
To deal with the problems satisfactorily, Dr. Greenwood suggested there should
be a special hop-pickers' committee of the Ministry of Health to work with rural
district councils, boards of guardians and voluntary organisations.
A visit was paid by Drs. Boome and Forbes to Mrs. Stuart Day's farm at Gallants,
East Farley. Here ideal conditions were seen ; in every particular the health and
convenience of the workers was studied and catered for. They also visited the
Hop-pickers' Hospital at Marden, which was inaugurated four years ago by Mrs.
Spender. This consists of a group of buildings, including a dispensary, hospital
wards with 14 beds, isolation hut and administration quarters. There is a motor
ambulance and the staff consists of two medical officers and nine trained sisters
and nurses.
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