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Section 3 prohibits the reception of infants by certain persons under
certain circumstances.
Under Section 4, the local authority may fix the number of infants which
may be retained in any dwelling.
Section 5 requires the removal of infants kept: in overcrowded, dangerous,
or insanitary premises; by drunken, immoral, or other undesirable person;
or by any person or in any premises in contravention of the Act.
Section 6 directs that notice shall be given to the Coroner of the death of
any infant notified as being maintained for reward.
Section 7 enacts that no person in charge of an infant coming within the
terms of the Act shall have an insurable interest in such infant, and the
attempt to effect insurance is made a punishable offence.
Sections 8 and 9 relate to notices given and penalties that may be imposed
upon offenders, from whose custody any infant is to be removed to a place of
safety.
With regard to the supervision of these nurse-children, the Select
Committee on Infant Life Protection strongly advocated that, so far as possible,
their inspection should be deprived of any rigid or formal official character,
and certainly carried out by women.
It was desirable, therefore, that Women Inspectors should be appointed for
the purposes of the Act in the City, and on the advice of your Medical Officer,
on the representation of the Sanitary and General Purposes Committees, the
Court of Common Council transferred the administration of Part I. of the
Children Act, relating to Infant Life Protection to the Sanitary Committee,
who have at their disposal Women Sanitary Inspectors possessing special
qualifications for appointment under the Act as regards Infant Life
Protection.
At a meeting of the Common Council on the 4th February, Miss A. J.
Safford and Miss M. M. Pole were duly appointed, on the recommendation of
the Sanitary Committee, Inspectors for the purpose of the Act, and the
Committee authorised to take such steps as might be necessary to bring its
provisions to the public notice.