Mr. Stansfeld's Public Health Bill is getting through easily. There
is much dislike to it among country gentlemen, but Mr. Disraeli's declaration that Mr. Stansfeld had conceded enough, and that he should support the Bill, ensures its safety. The conces- sion alluded to was this :—When the Act is passed each Town Council and Board of Guardians will stand possessed of all the powers given under the Health Acts and all the duties imposed by them, superseding all other local authorities. They will, however, be supervised by the Local Government Board, and they must appoint a medical officer to assist them with advice. As this in- volves additional rates, Sir Massey Lopes, who has somehow got control of the Local Taxation question on behalf of the squires, objected, and Mr. Stansfeld offered a compromise, that the State should pay half the doctor's salary, which was accepted by Sir Massey, and as we said', by Mr. Disraeli. , This is clearly the drift of local-taxation reform,—that all new rates shall be divided be- tween the State and the locality. The Bill, we may remark, en passant, is the biggest thing ever done for the doctors yet.
Previous page
