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the requirements of the Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918, the Council
be recommended to increase the number of the Committee to 27 members—
7 ladies, 2 medical practitioners and 18 Councillors; but on 22nd April the
new Council resolved that the new Maternity and Child Welfare Committee
should consist of 30 members—20 Councillors and 10 co-opted members; the
latter to consist of seven ladies, two medical practitioners and one gentleman.
It was further resolved that Drs. Shaw and Moss be the medical practitioners
and that Mr. S. J. Sanders act as "the gentleman." The last-named had
lost his seat at the election.
No less than three reports—dated March 31st, April 15th and 29th—were
submitted on May 27th. A balance-sheet purported to show that the Committee
had received from the Council during that year .£100. and from the
Local Government Board £111 3s. 10d., making a total of £211 3s. 10d., and
that the expenditure had amounted to £455 19s. 9d. The last report stated
that Mr. George Rowe had been elected chairman and Mr. S. J. Sanders to
the new post of vice-chairman for the ensuing twelve months; that the Standing
Orders of the Council were adopted for the guidance of the Committer, and
that two sub-committees were appointed for the ensuing year, i.e., the Centre
Sub-Committee, to deal with the actual work amongst the mothers and children
attending the Centre, and (2) the Supervisory and Finance Sub-Committee,
to deal (in consultation with the Supervisor) with the business affairs and policy
of the Centre. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committee to serve
on the Sub-Committees ex-officio.
Then a report, dated October 26th, was submitted on November 25th,
which conveyed reports from the Medical Adviser (Mrs. Outram) and the Secretary
(Miss Shiner). The Committee announced that they had abandoned their
plans for a separate dental clinic and hoped to co-operate with the Education
Committee (which was following the advice given them by the Supervisor long
ago). Finally, it was stated: "The work is only now limited by the accommodation
provided, a matter which the Council must, at an early date, be
asked to take into consideration." At this meeting the recommendation of
the Finance Committee of the Council was adopted, that (as suggested by the
Government Auditor) the accounts of the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee
should be kept by the Council's Accountant and embodied in the Council's
accounts; so that in future all accounts of this Committee will come before
the Finance Committee of the Council.
So far as I can ascertain these were all the reports presented during 1919
by the Committee of whose proceedings, after June, I was not officially made
aware, owing to my temporary disassociation from the work.
In July, Miss Bintcliffe was permitted to join Miss Shiner in Centre work.
The attendance is said to average 71 per session; a very small proportion of
the 984 mothers available for education.