§ SIR ALEXANDER GORDONasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether Mr. Hedley is the inspector upon whose Report the Board decided to allow Mr. Bliss to remain as Master of the Poland Street Workhouse 1365 after conviction of the charges proved against him in August, 1883; whether he has recently received from the Poor Law Guardians of Holborn Union a Letter, stating that if an inquiry into the conduct of the Master of their Workhouse, which they had applied for, was conducted by Mr. Hedley, the Guardians must decline to take any part in the investigation; whether it is true that in the Poland Street Workhouse of the Westminster Union no arrangement is made for allowing persons to live together, who, being husband and wife, are both above 60 years of age, in accordance with the express provisions of sec. 33 of 10 and 12 Vic. c. 107; and, whether it is true that the Master of the said Workhouse recently threatened to kick downstairs an old man named William Warren, aged 76, who was going upstairs to see his wife, to whom he had been married for 56 years, having obtained permission to see her?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLSir, the inquiry was held by two Inspectors, of whom Mr. Hedley was one. With regard to the Holborn Union, a similar Question was asked on the 6th instant, when I took the opportunity of expressing our entire confidence in Mr. Hedley's impartiality. With respect to arrangements for allowing husband and wife, when above 60 years of age, to live together, no such arrangements are made in the Poland Street Workhouse. On the 8th of January last we urged the Guardians to consider the subject with the view of giving effect to the intentions of the Statute, and the matter is now under the consideration of the Guardians. As to the case of Warren, I have already replied to a similar Question by the hon. and learned Member for East Surrey (Mr. Grantham).
MR. E. N. FOWLER (LORD MAYOR)asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether Mr. J. D. Bliss, the Master of the Poland Street Workhouse of the Westminster Union, has been seriously cautioned by the Guardians as to his future conduct, as directed by the Local Government Board's Letter of the 18th July last; whether, if and when so cautioned, the Master expressed any regret at having been found guilty of the charges and grave irregularities stated in that Letter to have been established against him, or 1366 gave any assurance to abstain in the future from anything calculated to give just grounds for complaint; whether the charges reported to have been established against the Master are those set forth in the Local Government Board's Letter of the 28th August last, addressed to the Guardians; whether he will lay a Copy of such Letter upon the Table of the House; and, whether, having regard to the charges enumerated in that Letter, the Local Government Board intend to continue Mr. Bliss in the office of Master of a Workhouse?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLSir, we are informed by the Board of Guardians that the letters of the 18th of July and 28th of August last were read over to Mr. Bliss, that he was admonished by the Chairman, and seriously cautioned as to his future conduct. It was not stated whether Mr. Bliss had expressed regret or given such an assurance as is suggested in the Question. The letter of the 28th of August specifies the charges which we considered proved against Mr. Bliss. We have no objection to the production of the several letters alluded to, if they are moved for. Our decision was communicated in the letter of the 18th of July, and it is not our intention to re-open the case.
§ MR. GRANTHAMasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether a blind inmate of the Poland Street Workhouse, named Henry Gorman, aged 56, was removed in a dying condition from a sick ward into the insane ward of the Poland Street Workhouse about mid-day on Thursday the 20th of December last, and died within forty-eight hours afterwards; whether, during those forty-eight hours, Henry Gorman was without medicine, skilled nursing, and any nourishment whatever, with the exception of twelve ounces of suet pudding; whether the fact that the man was in a dying condition was officially reported to the master, and whether the master took any notice of such report; whether the master, Mr. J. D. Bliss, recently threatened to kick down the stairs an inmate named William Warren, aged 76, who was with Sir John Ross in the Arctic Expedition of 1823, and who was visiting his wife, also an inmate, to whom he had been married for 56 years; and, whether, as the Westminster Union comprises the parishes of St. James' Piccadilly and St. Anne a Soho, 1367 and forms part of the Central London Sick Asylum District, all inmates of the Poland Street Workhouse requiring skilled nursing and medical treatment ought to be transferred by the guardians, in compliance with Gathorne Hardy's Act, to the Infirmary of the district in Cleveland Street?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLHenry Gorman was removed from the sick ward into the ward called the insane ward, which is used for the temporary detention of insane and violent patients, in consequence of being noisy and excitable. He had been under the care of the acting medical officer, but was not considered by him to be, at the time of his removal, in a dangerous condition. He was seen on the next day and on the day following—which was the day of his death—by the acting medical officer, and on each occasion the man stated that he was better. He was during the day under the care of a paid attendant. The medical officer not having ordered special diet, the ordinary diet for the day was supplied. In addition to the suet pudding, he was, during the 48 hours preceding his death, supplied with meat for dinner on the Friday, and tea and bread and butter for breakfast and supper. The attendant, considering the man worse, gave notice to the master, who immediately communicated with the relatives, and they were with him on the Friday evening, and again on the following day. We do not understand why the deceased was not placed on special diet, at least on the Saturday, by the acting medical officer. That officer was acting temporarily, and is not now in the service of the Guardians. As to the case of William Warren, the master absolutely denies that he made the threat alleged, and there is confirmatory evidence of this. It would not be possible to remove all inmates needing medical care and skilled nursing to the Cleveland Street Infirmary, because it is not large enough to hold them. Its enlargement is under contemplation, and in the meantime it is desirable that the Guardians of each of the Unions composing the district should avail themselves of it to the fullest extent practicable.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORwished to know whether the Local Government Board would consider the desirability 1368 of taking some steps to enable the old people who were over 60 years of age, and who were entitled by law to separate accommodation together, to be informed of that fact; and whether the Board would inquire whether the masters or matrons of the Metropolitan workhouses did not systematically withhold that information from the old inmates?