THE CLEANSING OF PERSONS ACT.
[To THE EDITOR or TOE "Srmmorm:]
&IL—The Joint Parliamentary Advisory Council desire to bring to the notice of your readers the Report they have just published on the urgent necessity of the compulsory extension of the Cleansing of Persons Act, 1897. This is a Permissive Act, giving power to Local Authorities to spend money I. providing free cleansing facilities to verminous persons. During the twenty years in which this Act has been in force it is discouraging to find bow many Local Authorities hays evaded their duty and sheltered themselves behind its per- missive wording. In any vigorous handling of the Housing question this matter becomes of imperative importance.
We must bear in mind that disease comes in the trail of dirt, and that if verminous persons can obtain a certain degree of relief from discomfort by bathing in public baths, these baths are at once rendered a possible source of acute danger to the rest of the population. The equipment and arrangement of cleansing stations is a matter needing careful consideration. or much waste of public money may take place. The lines on which this should be done should be laid down by the Lccal Government Board, after indispensable consultation with scientific experts in the destruction of vermin. The stations should be placed where they can be used without stigma. In many towns the only available facility is in the workhouse. Some Authorities have placed their cleansing stations adjoin- ing the public mortuary. It is evident that during a serious epidemic, at the very time when such baths would be most needed, they would have to be closed.
In reporting to the Education Committee of the L.C.C.. Dr. Kerr said: "The majority of cases of injury to health amongst children may be traced to want of cleanliness." Few people, however, realize how injurious to the cause of educa- tion is the verminous condition of our children in elementary schools. Here are two typical instances of the direct bearing of this question on the education of the country. They are taken from a long list of such cases:— • " ' A' was excluded on account of the filthy condition of her head, and given a card with cleansing instructions. The mother, who wished to keep the child at home to mind the baby, took no steps in the matter, and the girl continued to be excluded. The mother was then summoned for keeping the girl at home, but by appealing to the Magistrate's pity she contrived to get her case adjourned time after time, till the child had lost twenty-five weeks of schooling. When the Managers at last took the case up, they found the girl was within a fortnight of fourteen, and, owing to her mother's manoeuvres, actually left school six months sooner than the should.
The case of ' B' is yet more cruel. Against her name a•as the note: 'A good girl. Very intelligent and hard-working; should have been a scholarship girl.' On examination of the child's head it was found to be in a terribly verminous condi- tion. She was, of course, excluded from school. The mother, a very plausible woman, got the Magistrate to adjourn her
case again Anti again, thg 044 as kept 1e. this terrible
state of vermin, and away ;from school, for over a year, 'when ,she and her mother left the neighbourhood."
It is fondly imagined by those not -closely .acquainted with the evil that in newly built homes, provided withepropor! washing arrangements, -vermin mill disappear. Such •pro-, pheoy is most unlikely of 'fulfilment, sand the ;Joint Pattie., manta?), Advisory Council ,earnestly press 'for 'legislation 'to make compulsory the Cleansing of Persons Act, 1897. They! further trust that no Housing Bill .be allowed Mamas without due provision being made -in the new building areas for -cleansing facilities for eradicating verminous conditions. It is very important that-such cleansing stations should he kept open during certain hours on .Sunday.—I. am,. Sir,.&e., MARGARET E. TORREY,
Hon. &watery, Joint Parlia.mentamAdvisors Council (Women Social Workers and Members of Parliament). r.s.—Copies of the Report can bsebtained from the Honorary Secretary, 7 Hobart Place, Eaton Square, S.W. 1.
[We have been compelled to reduce our correspondent's letter, but we recognize the great importance of this unpleasant subjeCt.—En. Spectator.]
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