Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XXX. Scotland. Statistics and other documents relating specially to Scotland.

Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress 1905-09

Date:: 1911

Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XXX. Scotland. Statistics and other documents relating specially to Scotland. 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.

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$No. of Councils, &c. making Recom- menda- tion. Powers to be given to Parish Councils or Police authorities to prevent vagrants tramping with young children - - 15 Tinkers' children should not be registered as legitimate without production of marriage lines .... 2 Amendment of Industrial Schools Act:— (a) Dissolute and vicious persons to be deemed to be improper guardians [6]. (b) Procedure in connection with the com- mittal of children to industrial in- stitutions is too loose [1] - . 7 All Industrial Schools should be State supported - 2 Wtdotvs with Children r-— Statutory allowance to be made to necessi. tous respectable widows, equal to the amount paid in cases of boarded-out children ; maximum allowance per family to be £1 per week 1 Parish Councils to have power to remove children of dissolute widows - - - 2 Any provision for the feeding of neglected children to be under the Parish Council; guardians to answer neglect by fine or imprisonment if necessary I (12) Vagrants and Tramps. Legislative measures necessary for dealing with vagrant class :— (a) Licensed pedlars to be confined to their own county [2]. (6) Unlicensed pedlars should not be per- mitted [2]. (c) Pedlar's certificates to be issuable only to persons with a bona fide domicile [6]. ((/) Issue, renewal, and endorsement of certi- ficates to be more stringent [4]. (e) Lodging-houses and their inmates should be strictly examined [2]. (/) Compulsory insurance for tramps [1]. 23 Police control of tramps, etc. :— Adoption of recommendations of Depart- mental Committee on Vagrancy (1906) [7] 71 Compulsory detention of vagrants in labour or farm colonies to work for their own and their dependants' support:— (a) Under State regulation and control [9]. (6) Sheriff to have the power of committal [!]• (c) Under Central Authority in conjunction with police [4] 106 Need for check on habitual vagrancy* - . - 6 Parish Councils to have power to compulsorily detain tramps in poorhouse for various periods:— (a) When medically certified unfit for work [29]. (6) Medical Officer or Governor of poorhouse to have power to detain [3]. (c) With sanction of Local Government Board [1] 65 Parish Councils to have power to erect lodging- houses for vagrants where those unable to pay for maintenance should render a labour equiva. lent, or be given in charge of the police - . 1 Powers of Burgh Police Act as to suppression of vagrancy to be extended to County Authorities 9 Cest of vagrants to be a National charge - . 3 (As to recommendations regarding children of vagrants, see under Children.) * No specific recommendation made. NOTE.—Figures in brackets refer to number of Pa, 429—XXX. (13) Bastardy. No. of Councils, &c., making Recom- menda• tion. Need of more facilities for punisnment of fathers of bastards ....... 4 Failure to aliment illegitimate child by father to be a criminal offence 3 For Poor Law purposes recognised father of a bastard to be under same obligations as a natural parent ....... 1 Parish Councils to have power to institute pro- ceedings against putative fathers of bastards where chargeability happens .... I Parish Councils should not be compelled to aliment illegitimate children until mother has taken legal steps to prove paternity ..... 1 Parents of bastards should be sent to labour colonies to work for their own and their chil- dren's support if they refuse to maintain them otherwise ....... 1 Parish Councils to have powers to detain com. pulsorily unmarried mothers who be- come frequently chargeable :— (a) To be detained in poorhouse or industrial home [1] 12 {See also under Lunacy, as to detention of feeble-minded unmarried mothers). Special provision should be made for first offenders 1 Mothers of more than one illegitimate child should be segregated 1 Some provision desirable whereby expense to Parish Council of unmarried mothers could be lessened 1 (14) Desertion. Need of greater powers for dealing \vith deserting husbands or parentsf 5 Present maximum penalty for desertion to be increased19 Onus of proving inability to maintain to be placed on person accused of desertion:— (a) Amendment of 80th Section of Poor Law- Act, 1845, repeal of words being able so to do [IJ 6 Concurrence of Procurator-Fiscal should not be necessary in prosecuting, alternatively no fee should be paid by Parish Councils - - - 1 Men neglecting or deserting wives and children to be compulsorily detained in labour colonies:— (a) Earnings in excess of the cost of mainten- ance to be applied towards maintaining dependants[1] - - - - - 13 Desertion of wife or family should be dealt with as an ordinary criminal offence :— (a) Duty and expense of apprehension and prosecution to be transferred to Crown [22]. (&) Wife to be competent witness [1]. (c) Mother of legitimate or illegitimate chil- dren to be liable to be prosecuted for desertion [22]. {d) The Fugitive Offenders' Act to be amended so as to include cases of desertion [1] 110 Deserted wives should be detained in poorhouse - 1 f No specific recommendations made. Gouneils, d-r., making the supplementary suggestions. S 2$