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20
Owing to the generosity of Dr. Mackintosh and the committee
presided over by him, this excellent ambulance has been presented
to the Council, and will be in future be maintained by them under
Section 50 of the Act just referred to.
The Officers of the Council have been directed to frame
suggestions for regulating the use of the vehicle, which, under the
new conditions, will no doubt be of even greater public benefit than
heretofore.
The Public Elementary Schools in the district were
referred to, and their condition described, in my report for 1908.
It will be sufficient now to state that the non-provided
(National) schools at Mortlake have been considerably improved;
that the new infants' (Council) school at Mortlake is completed
and in use ; and that the new Council mixed school, close to the
scavenging dock in Lonsdale Road, has also been completed. The
playgrounds of these schools are not of impervious material, but
are gravelled.
During November a slight outbreak of diphtheria occurred at
the Green Schools, Barnes, and a few scholars in one or two
class-rooms were attacked.
Considerable alarm was caused, and much attention given to
the outbreak, owing to the fact that coincidently with the outbreak
being known there was a failure of the water supply to the school.
The first cases however had occurred several days before the failure
of the water supply, which was found to be due to the breaking of
a lead service pipe some distance away, by reason of the brittleness
of age and the growth of trees. I understand that the condition of
these schools, perhaps the best of the older buildings, is under consideration.
The old-fashioned trough closets should certainly be
abolished, and the cottage adjoining, used for residential purposes,
should be otherwise employed.