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37
23. LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT, 1929.
The operation of the Local Government Act, 1929, has not
affected Barking very much, because, although the duties of the
former Poor Law services have been transferred to the County
Council, the actual position remains very much as it was before.
It seems to me that much fuller co-operation and co-ordination
is required, if we are to realise the benefits which represent the ideals
which were actually the primary moving factor in this recent
legislation.
In Barking there is an investigation department, which has
been brought to a very high level of efficiency. It seems a very
great pity, with this efficient organisation at hand, that no use is
made of it in distributing the various forms of relief controlled by
the County, as well as those for which it is already used and which
are controlled by the Town.
It seems to me that there ought to be a unified system for
distributing the various forms of benefit which are controlled by
different authorities—not only those controlled by the Local
Council and the Public Assistance Committee, but also those controlled
by the Public Health Committee of the County, etc. This
would do away with such incongruities as we have at present.
Thus the provision of dentures under the County scheme may
mean that the patient is asked to contribute a much higher sum
than could possibly be asked under the scheme organised by the
Town Council.
Altogether the whole situation demands a round table conference.
It is obvious that, with your highly developed social
services, you could very well take over much of the work carried out
by the County, particularly the work carried out by the Public
Assistance Committee.