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47
No direct request for the submission of a scheme for dealing with tuberculosis
has been addressed to this Council, but the Local Government Board have indirectly
asked the Council to submit such a scheme, as the following will show.
In a communication addressed by the Board to the Town Clerk on 17th October,
1912, the Board intimated that they "would be glad to be informed whether this
proposed Dispensary (No. 3-5, Stepney Green) will form part of the Borough Council's
Scheme for the treatment of tuberculosis and to be furnished with full particulars
of their scheme." The Board further intimated that if it was proposed to apply
for a grant towards the capital cost involved, a detailed estimate should be furnished.
The Local Government Board have pointed out in a circular communication,
dated 6th December, 1912, addressed to Councils of Counties and County Boroughs
(England), that it would be a great advantage in the interests of the community
as a whole, if schemes could be undertaken which would cover not only insured
persons and their dependants, but also uninsured persons. The Treasury are willing
to bear half of any deficiency under this head.
The Local Government Board therefore suggest that County Insurance Committees
should extend sanatorium benefit in so far as institutional treatment is
concerned to the dependants of insured persons and should arrange, subject to the
consent of the Insurance Commissioners, to pay over to the Local Authorities the
sums available for institutional treatment and that Local Authorities should be
responsible for such treatment of all classes whether insured or dependants of insured
or wow-insured,
A copy of this circular communication was transmitted to this Council and in
a short covering letter the Board state that " the circular is generally applicable
to the Metropolis, but as the arrangements in London are somewhat different from
those outside, some adaptation of the procedure may have to be made."
The Local Government Board had prior to this in a circular communication,
dated 14th May, 1912, addressed to County Councils, Councils of Boroughs, Urban
and Rural District Councils intimated that they unhesitatingly endorsed the opinion
expressed by the Departmental Committee on Tuberculosis, presided over by Mr.
Waldorf Astor, M.P., " that the organisation of schemes throughout the country
can best be carried out if undertaken by Local Authorities." The Board asked to
be informed before the 8th June, 1912, of the progress made in each County and
County Borough and requested that when the schemes were submitted, the Board
should be provided with a statement showing as far as might be practicable the
estimated annual expenditure and the sources from which it would be met.
In a further communication dated 27th July, 1912, addressed by the Local
Government Board to County Councils, Sanitary Authorities, and Insurance