PARLIAMENTARY REPORT ON VACCiNATLOtt. 
501 
belief that vaccination is injurious might be pleaded against 
any penalty, but your committee believe that if the law were 
thus changed it would become a dead letter. Prosecutions 
would soon cease, and the children of the many apathetic and 
neglectful parents would be left unvaccinated, as well as the 
children of the few opponents of vaccination. 
“ Your committee are glad to find that wherever the 
Guardians endeavour to carry out the law it is very generally 
and, indeed, almost universally enforced ; but there are some 
amendments by which they think the Act referred to them 
might be made more efficient. 
“ By section 28 the Guardians of any parish may appoint 
an officer to promote vaccination and to prosecute persons 
offending against the Act ; and it appears that in the majority 
of the unions such officers have been appointed, and that the 
law in consequence is more efficiently administered. Your 
committee recommend that this appointment be made obliga- 
tory on the Guardians. 
“ They are also strongly of opinion that the registration of 
vaccination should be simplified ; that the vaccination officer 
should keep the vaccination register, and therefore that the 
certificates under the Act should be sent to him ; and also 
that the registrar of the district should forward to him a 
monthly return of births and of the infants that have died. 
“ The suggestion has been made that a considerable pro- 
portion of the expenses of working the Act should be con- 
tributed from moneys to be voted by Parliament. Your 
committee believe that efficient working would be promoted 
by such contribution. Without doubt, local agency must be 
relied on for administration, but central inspection and con- 
trol are also needed, and would be much more powerful if a 
payment towards the expenses could be withdrawn in cases 
of maladministration. 
“Your committee cannot conclude without expressing 
their opinions on two questions beyond the scope of the 
Act referred to them, though not of the subject of their 
inquiry. 
“ A compulsory registration of births, such as exists in 
Scotland and Ireland, is needed, as the non-registered chil- 
dren are those most likely to escape the notice of the vac- 
cinators. 
“There also appear to be disadvantages in the present 
division of sanitary responsibility between the departments 
of the Government. The Medical Department of the Privy 
Council inspects the vaccination of every union, and advises 
the Poor Law Board in regard to the arrangement proposed 
xliv. 36 
