§ MR J. G. TALBOTasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether it is within his knowledge that a charge made at a public meeting against the managers of the Metropolitan Asylum District, of negligence in the management of the Small-Pox Hospital at Fulham has been investigated; whether the gentleman who made that charge expressed himself as satisfied that the charge was unfounded; and, whether the same publicity has boon given to the contradiction as was given to the accusation?
§ MR. DODSONSir, I am aware that a charge was made at a public meeting against the managers by a gentleman, who stated in a letter that he had repeatedly seen the nurses from the Small-Pox Hospital at Fulham walking up and down the Seagrave Road in their working costumes among the children of his neighbours. I have since seen a copy of a letter written by the gentleman in question, after attending a meeting of the Hospital Committee, in which the whole matter was fully investigated, in which he expressed his satisfaction at finding the persons whom he saw were not, as he imagined and incorrectly reported, nurses in the employment of the Hospital; and I cannot but regret that, so far as I am aware, the same degree of publicity has not been given to this retraction as was given to the charge.
§ MR. FIRTHsaid, that he was chairman of the meeting that had been referred to, and did nut read the letter, which was one of many, but stated on the authority of the letter that nurses were soon walking in the street. He was 1930 sorry that there had not been an opportunity of making, with similar publicity, the explanation suggested; but he would offer the right hon. Gentleman an opportunity of having it done at a public meeting, provided that he would attend and give some explanation of what was at present regarded as the inexplicable conduct of the Metropolitan Asylums Board in the matter of this Hospital.