Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume VII. Minutes of evidence (111th to 122nd days) with appendix. England. (This volume contains the oral and written evidence of witnesses from various rural centres, especially in the south western, western, and eastern counties ; from the Parish of Poplar Borough, and from the National Conference of Friendly Societies.).

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress.
Date:
1910
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume VII. Minutes of evidence (111th to 122nd days) with appendix. England. (This volume contains the oral and written evidence of witnesses from various rural centres, especially in the south western, western, and eastern counties ; from the Parish of Poplar Borough, and from the National Conference of Friendly Societies.). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    240/570
    Mr. Samuel T. Harwood, J.P. 24 July 1907. London jjaupers •boarded-out at country unions, their treatment and its effect. Small hold- ings, etc., at Bosmere. Small amount of emigration from Bosmere. Question of deterrence of medical relief. 73784. Do most of them stay or take their discharge ? —A good many stay. We have several acres of land, and we employ them on the land. 73785. And you can make them work ?—Some of them say they are not sent there to work. A man told me not long ago that he was not sent there to work ; and I told him he had better take his discharge, we did not want him. 73786. What did he do ?—He did not take his discharge. 73787. Then we may hope he did his work ?—He did. 73788. When you say that most of the land is in the hands of small holders, does that mean they hold it as freeholders, or are they small occupiers ?—When I said a small owner I meant a man who owns a thousand acres in, perhaps, half a dozen farms, and then he lets them. 73789. He would own them, he would not be renting them as a rule ?—Very little. What T think is meant really by small owners is men farming their own land. 73790. The allotments, of course, never pass into the hands of the people ? They are quite different ?— Tliey are only hired. 73791. How are they supplied ? Who supplies them ? The landowners ?—Private owners mainly. 73792. Have you much emigration from your dis- trict ?—Very little indeed. 73793. Do the men go to the towns or do they stay there ?—Some have gone to the towns ; but we have verj^ few empty cottages. 73794. {3Ir. Gardiner.) Would you say that the dislike of appl3dng to the relieving officer for a medical order led poor people to defer getting medical treatment till perhaps too late ?—I do not know that. We like them to suppose that they must make some arrangement to pay for it themselves. We have always said, when we have had personal applications for the medical officer, which have been principally in confinement cases : If they knew they were wanted, why had they not made provision ? 73795. We have been told, ajjart from confinement cases, that people's health has suffered because of their reluctance to apply for a medical order ?—That may le so in some cases, but I do not think it is so in my union. 73796. {Dr. Dowries.) Are you satisfied with the medical attendance on the poor in your union ?—Quite so. 73797. Do you have any complaints ?—No, we never have any complaints whatever. 73798. With regard to those boarders from Hammer- smith, are any of them sick persons ?—A few of them are, but very few. They have to pay extra for sick persons. 73799. Do you pay your medical officer extra in respect of those ?—Yes, we had to, unfortunately. 73800. Have you any doctor's medical club in your union ?—I cannot say how many, we have some. 73801. Do you know what the rate is ?—I do not at all. 73802. Have you had any trouble with regard to the children sent to St. John's Home ?—In what way, do you mean ? 73803. You express a view as to the crowding together of children ?—I do not think their health has been alto- gether desirable. They have had several epidemics at St. John's Home ; and I do not think that the health of the children is altogether what it ought to be. 73804. What kind of epidemics ?—Principally scrofula, and head affections, and that sort of thing. Quality medical relief at Bosmer Medical attends on Loni paupers boardec in coun unions. Undesi bility ( treatin Poor L ch'ildre i crowds Mr. John Frederick Cheesman, called; and Examined. Mr. John F. Cheesman. 24 July 1907, Social and industrial conditions at Bosmere. Paupers boarded-out in distant workhouses, and diffi- culties as to visits of relations, ietc. Class of irunates in Bosmere workhouse. 73805. [Mr. Phelps.) You are the Master of the Bos- mere and Claydon Union ?—I am. 73806. You have prepared a statement, which we will treat as your evidence-in-chief if you will kindly hand it in ?—Very well. [The Witness handed in thi following S(alement). 1. This Union is almost solely, or to a very great extent, of an agricultural nature., the only manufacturing es- tablishment being an artificial manure company at Brara- ford and a small engineering firm in Claydon. 2. The only experiment to my knowledge that has been made in Poor Law administration is that of taking in boarders from other unions. This has been carried out for the past fourteen years with great success. We have received them from Hammersmith, Wood bridge, Ipswich, and by this means we have been enabled to relieve the rates of this union to a considerable extent. The profits derived have been sufficient to keep all inmates belonging to these districts, and to pay fully all expenses in connec- tion with this workhouse. I also consider this principle to be a great saving to the London unions, and that it is far cheaper than building such large and expensive in- stitutions in and around London, where the appropriate building sites stand at a premium. The only objection that I can find in coimection with the above principles is that the boarder inmates are so far away from their re- latives and friends in cases of emergency; but, -with that exception, the change of air and scene is greatly appreciated by all, and in many instances their lives have been pro- longed by their visit. Especially in cases of phthisis and tuberculosis, men have arrived here in a very low state, have stayed ten or twelve weeks and then taken their discharge, returning to London quite set up and again fit for work. 3. The inmates belonging to this union and Woodbridge consist principally of the sick, aged, and those of weak intellect, very few of whom are able to take care of them- selves outside, and if not in the workhouse would have to engage a nurse or competent person to look after them. This would be very expensive. There are a few excep- tions, mostly from Woodbridge, of young men who can well be described as ne'er-do-wells, mostly to be found at street corners of towns or loafing in villages. Tliis class of men is usually put to the most arduous and disagTeeable work, and in my opinion should be made as uncomfortable as possible. Greater powers should be given for the punishment of such men when jjrosecuted. 4. The persons applying for rehef are principally of the agricultural labouring class, and aged and infirm persons. There are a few bastardy cases, which average six a year. 5. Many persons become paupers through inabiUty to work in old age, and having made no provision for that period. They have mostly, when younger, paid into local or country clubs for many years, but unfortunately these clubs have now nearly all dissolved and left their members too old to join a financially sound society, the premium at their age being too high for them. These districts being entirely agricultural the old men cannot find any employ- ment other than as labourers, and that only for a few months cUiring the year, and in consequence they are gradual!}^ reduced to utter destitution and sickness when entering here. 6. The persons seeking election as guardians are mostly farmers and clergymen. 7. Relief is here administered strictly in accordance with the orders and instructions of the Local Government Board. 8. A far less number of books need be kept by the master. Many of the present bool.s are unnecessary, and more are kept than is required for the administration. They could be revised and made simpler and less con- fusing, especially in regard to the quarterly or half-yearly balances. The master would then have more time to super\ase his many other duties, which would be performed in a more efficient manner. 9. All counties, or parts of counties, should have a Home for imbeciles and feeble-minded, the paralytic and epilep- tic, where they would be properly looked after by attend- ants and nurses. These classes should not, as at present, reside in the workhouse with other and healthier inmates, who delight in teasing, hurting, and secretly annoying them, thereby making their lives unnecessarily miserable. 73807. {Mr. Phelps.) Where is your workhouse situate ? —At Barham. Class 0 person apply! relief. Causes paupei Class( persori beoonr guard Need simpli tion o work! aooou Need separ; instit for in and epilep