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could be maintataed. The housing needs of the elderly and
of young families living in cramped conditions either in
furnished accommodation or with "in-laws" present an
urgent problem throughout the country and are recognised
by the Council as a major obstacle to health and happiness
which should be removed as soon as possible.
Atmospheric pollution is nowadays the most important
hazard to the health of the community. It is comparable in
its magnitude to the pollution of public water supplies in the
19th century before the provision of water-carriage sewerage
schemes and, the problems involved in its abolition are
probably even more complex. The atmosphere is becoming,
more and more, a new kind of public sewer into which every
kind of gaseous filth is discharged—from the domestic fire,
the factory chimney and of course the ever growing number
of motor vehicles, both diesel and petrol, which threaten to
bring chaos to our roads. The Clean Air Act of 1956 has
enabled local authorities to take the first step to control
black smoke emissions from the domestic hearth and factory
and much has already been achieved in some of the worst
" black areas " of the country. Despite its many shortcomings
the Act remains one of the most important and far-reaching
pieces of legislation on the Statute Book and the many
frustrations arising from its operation should be seen as the
teething troubles inherent in such a great task as the removal
of one of the main causes of chronic respiratory disease, one
of the great killing diseases, and of cancer of the lung, of
which it is no doubt a contributory cause.
The loss of the Child Welfare Services by Bexley to the:
Kent County Council in 1948 under the National Health
Service Act, 1946 was, to some extent, offset by the delegation
to the Borough of the School Health Service by virtue of
its Excepted1 District status under the Education Act, 1944.
This has enabled us to keep in close touch with the personal
health services generally and with the Welfare and Children's:
departments of the Kent County Council. Now, the wheel
has turned full circle and, as a result of the London Government
Act, 1963 the new London Borough of Bexley will, oni
1st April, 1965 become responsible for the Health and Welfare
and Children's services. It is difficult not to feel some;
regret at the passing of the old order but one cannot but!
welcome the great opportunities and challenge which face;
the new Borough and which will, surely, in years to come,:
bring about a fully integrated Health service, close to the;
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