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rather lack of system, considerable delay and expense is incurred by
Sanitary Authorities in obtaining information from registrars of subdistricts
that is indispensable for the proper discharge of their duties.
A further disadvantage is that at present the registrars are only available
to the public during very limited hours.
There is a lack of dignity attaching to the present mode of conducting the
statutory obligations of registration at private houses and retailers' shops,
which is incompatible with a modern sense of the fitness of things, and the
local Town Hall, Guildhall, or other public building is the proper place for
the purpose.
As to the manner in which the various Acts relating to vaccination are
carried out, I made no criticism of the manner in which they were administered
by the Guardians, except to point out that the last returns then issued by the
Local Government Board showed that in London the number of cases not
finally accounted for as regards vaccination amounted to no less than 25.8
per cent. of the number of births.
I advocated this transfer in a Report in which the Sanitary Committee
concurred in January, 1902. It is too lengthy for reproduction here, but
time has only strengthened the views then set forth.
The financial question involved, if the suggested administrative duties are
transferred to the Borough Councils, hardly comes within my province, but I
do not anticipate there would be any difficulty in so apportioning the rates
that the cost incurred in each case would be paid by the Borough Councils
and a corresponding reduction made in the Poor Rate levy.
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
On the 5th June, 1905, a Conference of Imperial, County and Municipal
representatives of St. Pancras, Medical Men and Nurses, Ministers of Religion
and District Visitors, Philanthropists and Social Workers, was held at the
Town Hall, Pancras Road, N.W., at the initiation of the St. Pancras Borough
Council, to consider the question of Infantile Mortality. The following
Resolutions were considered and agreed to:—
A.—Mothers.
1.—That it is desirable that every encouragement should be given to
prospective mothers to seek advice as to the management of their health
so that they may endow their offspring with good constitutions and
prepare themselves to suckle their infants when born.
2.—That it is desirable that all efforts should be exhausted upon improving
the health of suckling mothers before devoting attention solely to their
infants.