epartment, which Department shall ensure that the
living and working conditions are up to standard;

(5) That the service be made available to all women, and that first
consideration be given to expectant mothers, mothers convalescent
after childbirth, and mothers who have young families, and that the
service be either free or charged for according to the
circumstances of each case.

Again, realizing the fact that many of the considerations involved in
this question of domestic help are beyond the scope of this Committee,
we recommend that a full investigation should be made of the whole
matter.

_Obstetrical Aid._--As for obstetrical help, we believe that the
position is in the main adequate and good.

As far as the larger centres are concerned, no woman, however poor her
circumstances, need lack complete ante-natal supervision, for which no
charge is made, and proper confinement care, at most moderate cost, in
the St. Helens Hospitals or the various maternity annexes of the public
hospitals; where the mother is actually indigent, free provision is
available through the Hospital Boards or St. Helens Hospitals.

The country mother in certain districts is, however, much less well
placed, although the Health Department through its district nurses,
maternity annexes, and subsidized small country hospitals is trying to
meet the need.

We commend all possible efforts in this direction, and suggest that
transport difficulties as they affect the country mother be given
special consideration.

To a certain extent transport difficulties can be eliminated by making
more use of public hospitals nearest to the patient's residence, or of
private maternity hospitals subsidized by the Hospital Board of the
district.

Certain general criticisms of the maternity services are elsewhere
discussed and certain recommendations are made.

It is in respect of overburdened and debilitated women of those classes
who are not in a position to obtain it privately that we have suggested
that the State might make provision for birth-control advice.

It is for such mothers especially that we have recommended the
establishment of birth-control clinics in connection with our public
hospitals.

We realize, however, that genuine economic hardship is not confined to
the unemployed, the wives of struggling farmers, and those on the
lowest wage-levels; relative to their own circumstances and
responsibilities, the diffic