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a reply was read from the County Council that, whilst any proposals made by
local authorities received most careful consideration, it would not be necessary
for our Council to send a deputation. However, a deputation of five Councillors
with the Clerk and the Medical Officer, was now appointed, showing that
Edmonton was [quite earnest in the matter. At the Council meeting on the
13th May, a reply from the County Council was read still deprecating the
necessity of a deputation. The Insurance Commissioners wrote stating that
they had communicated with the Local Government Board, and the Local
Government Board wrote us stating that they were in communication with the
Middlesex County Council on the subject. In June the Accountant was
instructed to prepare a report on the financial aspect of the new County scheme
of 27th February, 1913. This was published in the Council's minutes of 8th
July. In July the County Council were offered a vacant site in Silver Street
for the central dispensary at a price of £600. At the same meeting on July 8th,
on the invitation of the Governors of the Tottenham General Hospital,
Councillors Williams, Warren and Taylor, with the Medical Officer and the
Engineer, were appointed to attend a conference with representatives of
Tottenham and Enfield. This conference took place at the Hospital on the
21st July, 1913, and the report thereon by our Clerk was submitted to our
Council on the 26th August showing that the proposal of the Governors that
the central tuberculosis dispensary should be at, or close to, the hospital, met
with no support from the representatives of Edmonton and Enfield. So that
project fell to the ground. At this Council meeting a further letter from the
County Council was considered and (in consideration of the public benefit
involved) the Council agreed to accept £300, or one-half its value, for the site
at Silver Street. No answer had been received to this offer by the end of 1913.
At the Council meeting of the 9th September, a letter dated 9th July was
received from the County Council Insurance Committee enclosing a statement
showing how the applications for sanitorium benefit from Edmonton had been
dealt with and also a statement of the total number of applications received to
date for sanitorium benefit, etc.
On January 7th, 1914, I presented a report to my Sanitary Committee
and Council on "The Tuberculosis Dispensary and its work in Edmonton,"
and suggested that the time had now arrived for us to know definitely what the
status and duties of these nurses would be in view of the fact that since 1904
the work had been in the hands of the local medical officer of health and his
woman inspector. My Committee recorded the following resolution thereon
"The medical officer suggested that the time had now arrived for us
to consider how co-operation in the work with the County Council
could be best obtained and duplication of work and inspection
avoided, but your Committee decided to take no action in the
matter at present,"