SOCIAL WORK.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16488, 2 March 1914, Page 3

SOCIAL WORK.

AMONG LONDON’S CHILDREN.

GROWTH OF HOME INDUSTRIES

Among the recent arrivals in the city are two ladies who have been closely connected with movements having for their objects the betterment of the children of London and the spread of home industries among the villages of Merry England. When interviewed by a reporter both ladies very kindly gave a brief outline of their work. Miss A. W. Cramp holds the Social Study diploma of Birmingham University, but her work has been confined to London, where she was one of the London County Council’s large staff. The centre of her activity was the Lady Margaret Hall settlement, connected with Oxford College, and situated in Lambeth. “Really,” Miss Cramp stated, “ I was assistant organiser of Caro Committees! In London every primary school has a committee of voluntary workers, and this committee looks after the health and general welfare of the children attend-*, ing a particular school. The work is divided into three sections —feeding, medical care and after care. The entire system is very elaborate. We work in with tho Labour Exchanges and other organisations, for the “after care” branch concerns the placing of boys and girls in suitable employment. The whole city is divided into twelve districts, with a head organiser and two or more assistants in each district. "When I left there wore forty assistants engaged. The organisers deal with the voluntary workers, showing them what to do and how to do it, but owing to the lack of volunteers they really do a great deal of the work themselves. They .visit the homes, do a fair amount of hospital work and a great deal of committee work. “ L.C.C. AILMENTS,” “ All children attending the schools are medicallv examined at least twice during their school course,” Miss Cramp added, “ but in the caso of delicate children the examination is much more frequont. Then the Council has entered into arrangements with certain hospitals and days are. set aside for what are known as ‘ L.C.C. ’ ailments —eyes, ears, teeth and adenoids. If the children can afford it they pay one shilling for the treatment, but if they cannot afford it tho feo is reduced to as low as one penny. There are minor ailment clinics, supervised by a doctor employed by the Council, dental clinics and at least one clinic for major ailments.

“ A nurse is attached to each school, and she visits the parents and is generally responsible for the cleanliness of the children. There are cleansing stations in the city, where children who are found to be in a very filthy or verminous state are sent. The children sent to these stations come mostly from the slum schools. They do not seem to mind going at all. Then wo work in with tlie District Association nurses, and after a child lias been operated on these nurses visit the child in his or her home and soe that it is getting along satisfactorily. Where necessary spectacles are given to very poor children who need .them, and others are granted loans for tho purchase of spectacles. The work dono on the medical side is. really wonderful and badly needed. At one school SO per cent of the children were .treated. “In my district, Hoxton, practically every other child had some defect,” Miss Cramp said, “ but the treatment given them had a splendid effect. Since the Care Committees started their work tho parents had come to see the benefits to be derived from the. medical inspection of'their children and now gave what assistance they could. It was necessary, sometimes, to persuade parents to allow their children to undergo an operation. The system adopted by the Council was an expensive one, but the outlay was warranted by tho results obtained.” Touching on education matters generally Miss Cramp said that the schools were used at night as play centres, the object being to keep' the children ’ off the streets. There was a children’s Playhouse Association and a Happy Evenings Association, both of which supported tho movement. Mrs Humphrey Ward had been a prominent supporter of it. Tho latest development was tho starting of evening schools, working on the linos of the Workers’ Education Association. There were schools for girls and boys and the social side was net overlooked. The movement aimed at increasing the interest of the young in the welfare of their own districts.

THE EXTENSION OF HOME INDUSTRIES.'

Miss Margaret L. Lloyd was engaged in social work in London, but six years ago became actively interested in a' movement which has for its object the extension of home industries, especially in the country districts. In Somersetshire a start was made to teach crippled and delicate girls the u T ork of spinning and weaving. There were twelve workers and they used the oldfashioned hand loom. Tweeds, rugs, carpets, tapestry, silk and linen were made successfully. They spun tho wool for the carpets and tapestry but not for the tweeds on account of the cost. Theii they dyed the wool themselves, using vegetable dyes and obtained some beautiful colours. The aim of tho movement was to help cripples, enable the womenfolk to augment the family income and restore the old industries that once flourished in the land. In Somersetshire they were not very successful in getting the spinning done by tlie villagers. There were too many things to attract tho attention of the people, but in the more remote districts the movement was spreading.

■ After six years’ connection with the movement, Miss Lloyd added, she felt sure that the development of home industries offered a valuable opening for cripples, people of delicate health and even people,mentally deficient. Under modern conditions the work could not be carried on successfully; that was, judged from the financial standpoint, but tho movement would tend to make tho people more independent. It might be a good thing for New Zealand if spinning and weaving were again made branches of the home’s activities. Tho work could be extended to include metal work, wood carving and all branches of needlework. In Canada, it was reported, the movement had made rapid progress. All over England home industries were being revived. .The goods were cold mostly at exhibitions. One .village on Salisbury "Plain had established quite a flourishing twoed industry. Tlie spinning was done by the women and two regular weavers were employed.