Treasury

Restrictions

on

Local Authorities

of Protest.

:

Campaign

In the last issue of this paper attention was drawn to the Circular issued by the on August 9th, 1921, limiting, to a disastrous extent, the activities of Local Authorities under the Mental Deficiency Act. The situation thus created was considered so serious that at a crowded meeting (Annual Meeting) of the C.A.M.D. held at Caxton Hall, on October 20th, 1921, attended by representatives from all parts of the country, the following Resolution, proposed from the Chair by Mr. Leslie Scott, K.C., M.P., was unanimously passed :?

Board of Control

'

'That steps be taken to secure such alterations in the financial limitations on Local Authorities under the Mental Deficiency Act as "will enable them to deal with all cases coming within the Board's definition "of 'urgent' as set out in their Circular of August 9th, 1921."

"recently imposed

It was agreed to organise a campaign of protest against the proposed Treasury restrictions and the Chairman appealed to every member present at the meeting to bring the matter before the various Authorities represented. Voluntary Associations were asked to rouse public opinion in their respective areas by holding meetings of protest, and by ventilating the matter in the local Press, and to approach their local Members of Parliament. In areas where there is no Local Association the work would be done by the Central Association. A summary of the progress of the campaign up to the end of the year may be of interest. Immediately after the Annual Meeting a Statement, entitled "Mental Defectives; True an:l False Economy," was drawn up by Mr. Leslie Scott and sent, with suitable covering letters, to every member of the C.A.M.D., all members of the House of Commons, all County Councils and County Borough Councils and all Local Education Authorities with Special Schools. Influential people known to be interested in the subject of Mental Deficiency were also circularised and asked to use their personal influence to get the restrictions removed. As a result, resolutions of protest against the Treasury proposals have been passed, and forwarded to the Board of Control, Ministry of Health and the Treasury from 17 County Councils, 18 County Borough Councils and 12 Local Education Authorities, in England and Wales. Besides this several of the more active Local Authorities have sent "reasoned statements" to the Board of Control setting forth in detail the effect of the restrictions in their particular areas. The two

12

STUDIES IN MENTAL INEFFICIENCY.

important Local Government Associations,the County Councils Association and the Association of Municipal Corporations have also passed resolutions of protest and have forwarded them to the appropriate Departments. The Association of Poor Law Unions have not passed a resolution but the proposals of the Treasury were strongly criticised at their Annual Meeting in November. Various Boards of Poor Law Guardians, and social organisations such as the Reformatory and Refuge Union, Branches of the National Council of Women, Women Citizens' Association, Women's Co-operative Guild, etc., etc., have passed resolutions and have forwarded them to the Ministers concerned. Press notices, articles and letters from various influential people have appeared in the leading London and provincial papers. Mr. Scott drew attention to the "false economy" of the Circular in a letter to the "Times" and later another letter was inserted from members of the Medical Committee of the House of Commons. Mr. Will Thorne sent a letter to the Daily Herald and articles and letters have also appeared in the Daily News, Daily Telegraph, Observer, Outlook and Women's Leader. Three leading provincial papers, the Manchester Guardian, Liverpool Daily Post and East Anglian Times gave the subject a leading article and local papers all over the country have given sympathetic accounts of meetings held. Practically all the Local Associations have approached their local Members of Parliament, and a large number of influential M.P.'s have promised active support to the campaign. Unfortunately Parliament rose before the subject could be much discussed in the House, but Mr. Leslie Scott, Brig. Gen. Colvin (Epping) and Capt. Ormesby Gore (Stafford) asked questions and were assured that the matter was receiving careful consideration. Several members have either written or spoken personally to Sir Alfred Mond, Sir Robert Home and the Home Secretary, and Mr. Leslie Scott has personally approached the two former in addition to other influential Members of Parliament; he has also forwarded a detailed letter to the Labour Party's Advisory Committee on Public Health who are considering the whole question. A Memorandum giving details of urgent cases which Local Authorities are now unable to deal with, and of other aspects of the serious position created by the Treasury proposals, has been sent by Mr. Scott to the Geddes Economy Committee and it is hoped that the effect of this cumulative evidence from all parts of the country will be to show the Government conclusively that?in the words of his statement circulated at the outset of the campaign?"The proposed economy is not true but false.''

Treasury Restrictions on Local Authorities: Campaign of Protest.

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