The Washington times., 1901-09-29
VACCINATION IN LONDON.
Laws Are Lnxly Enforced In fl,e
British Capital.

| People who fear smallpox, and put their
faith in vaccination, had best not live in
Fast London. The conscientious objector
does not wax fat and kick much more
| vigorously there than in other places. but
the reasons is that he has not found it
necessary to proclaim his conscience and
obtain his certificate. Without any certi-
| ficate at all, he has been practically safe
from persecution in most of the East
London districts for many years. The
reason, of course. is that local opinion.
as expressed by the various boards of
guardians, is not in favor of vaccination,
| and the energetic vaccination officer anx-
| ious to perform the statutory duties Of
his office, has found his path beset with
thorns. Two years ago. in the Stepney
Union, when the vaccination officer ini-
tiated prosecutions, the guardians refused
to allow him his expenses. In St Georges
lin-the-East another energetic officer met
with a somewhat similar fate.
The last report of the medical officer for
Limehouse. while stating that mo case of
smallpox has occurred in the district dur
ing the year refers 70 the Large num-
| ber of children that are vaccinated in the
district In fact. the law which enjoins
vaccination unless the parents objection
be conscientious appears to have become
dead letter. In the few cases when
prosecutions have been pressed and fines
have been imposed, their collection has
not been enforced. The reason for this
appears to be that in some cases the Of
tenders would have chosen prison before
payment, and no wise vaccination ofh-
Ger makes martyrs; while in other cases
the deiinquents were not worth powder
and shot.
Shoreditch was slumberiag -uavaccinat-
ed peacefully as the Tpfonb further
east until last week, when Its vaccination
officer, relying on the new act. which
makes him responsible for prosecution.
and enables him to dispense with the con-
sent of the guardians who appoint him,
brought good many cases before the
Worship Street Police Court The Shore
ditch guardians, considerabla majority
of whom are opposed to compulsory vac
cination, objected. but are and must ap-
parently remain unable tosgivG force to
their objections.
According to the local branch of the
League, no such prose-
cutions have beeen known lin Shoreditch
for years past, and everything has been
for the best in the best Of unFaccinated
unions till these cases weret suddenly
sprung upon 1t last week. There is con-
siderable local fndignatiors a. centring
chiefly around the grievance that an Off
Ger appointed and paid by the Board of
Guardians should pursue a policy which
that board does not approve. But, what
ever the merits of the existing law may
be, 1t does not appear that, with the law
In its present state, tho vaccination offi-
Ger has any choice.
He is legally responsible for seeing the
law obeyed, and to attack him for at
tempting to do his duty seems somewhat
Many people may think that
while any man who processes conscien-
tious objection can obtain exemption from
those who will not take the
trouble to object deserve no great pity.
II is urged by the local branch of the |
League that all such /
are a farce, because the fines |
are not enforced. Apparently It is true
that fines have seldom been levied in the !
district hitherto but that Is a mere ques- |
lion OF policy, ard depends upon the judg- |
nent of the vaccination officer. The mere |
trouble OF the prosecution may well act 1
n some cases as a deterrent. There is |
local interest in the question,
and two things are obvious: First, the /
yaccination officer could hardly have done
otherwise. consistently with his duty;
second. a large body of local opinion is
strongly against his action. There is, IL
5 said, some probability of steps being
AIKEN to enforce the fines recently impos-
ID at Worship Street, with view to as
'ertaining what effect such policy would
lave upon the unvaccinated population OF
he diStrtCt-I.opdon Teiepranb