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record, namely, 21.9 per thousand of the population. While
it is satisfactory that the infant death rate has diminished,
it is not so satisfactory to note that fewer babies have been
born. This fact, together with the wastage of life, on account
of the war, makes the care of the child an all important
problem for the Local Authority and the State.
Day and Night Nursery.
Whatever care is taken of the physical welfare of the
child contributes to the building up of a sound population.
During the year 191G an increasing number of women
were employed as munition workers. This demand for
woman labour created the necessity for some authority to
take care of the children. In Willesden, with munition
factories all round, this need was especially great. The
Council accordingly decided at their meeting on 7th November,
1916, to establish a Day and Night Nursery for the
children of Munition Workers, the Ministry of Munitions
paying 75 per cent. of the cost of initial equipment, and the
Board of Education giving a grant of 7d. per day or night
attendance of twelve hours. The report of the Medical
Officer relative to this matter appears in Appendix D.
Taking a glance into the future it would appear that If
the financial commitments of the State owing to the war
are to be wiped off by the nation, women must play an important
part. Not only must every facility and every
encouragement be given to large families, but the care of the
children must be undertaken to free mothers for employment,
and yet this must be done in such a way that neither
the mother nor the child suffers.
Open Air School.
There is great need for an Open Air School in Willesden
in order that children of school age who are delicate, or who
are convalescent from some acute condition such as