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was raised by Lady St. Helier that if the one-child homes were
t/ 9/
registered, the difficulty of finding good homes for the children
would be enormously increased. Of those who gave evidence
before the Committee, some have rather laboured the point
of the absence of evidence of cruelty, this being their
reason for opposing the measure. The insanitary condition of
the home and the general unfitness and ignorance of parents
who undertake the charge of nursing the children are, in my
opinion, just as important.
From the Bill to which I have referred, one important
point which I raised in my last annual report has been omitted,
that is the subject of transferring the powers of the Infant Life
Protection Act in London to the Borough Councils.
With the increased facilities of the notification of births,
and the probable adoption in this district of the Notification of
Births Act, we shall have at first hand important information
for carrying out the work.
I sincerely hope the Bill will become operative, and the
administration transferred to the Borough Councils, in which
case we shall have additional powers to assist us in our efforts
in the reduction of infant mortality.
Returning to the subject of the Notification of Births Act,
I append herewith a copy of the report submitted to your
Council in 1907: —
"The Notification of Births Act, 1907.—During the
"past three years attempts have been made by Sanitary
"Authorities throughout the country to reduce the great
"sacrifice of infant life, due in a great measure to the ignorance
"of parents in nursing and feeding their offspring.
"It was not long before it was found that efforts to
"remedy many existing evils in the environment and feeding