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15af0965-2264-4738-9000-baab4f1bd84a | This quantity must, however, be reduced in the proportion of the area above Teddington, viz., 3,766 square miles, to that above the intakes, which is 3,548 square miles, thus bringing down the nett daily quantity to 1,354,521,778 gallons. This, we believe, is a very close approximation to the daily average flow of the Thames down to the waterworks intakes during a long series of years, and we will call it, in round figures, 1,350,000,000 gallons. The average daily discharge of three consecutive dry years we estimate at 1,120,000,000 gallons, and of the driest year at 900,000,000 gallons. |
44f974b5-d3e5-4252-a55b-47fc7b1aee2a | 50 "These being the facts, we are of opinion that, by the construction in the neighbourhood of Staines, of reservoirs of adequate capacity, into which water shall be pumped and stored in times of excess, to be used in times of deficiency, at least 300,000,000 gallons a day may be obtained for the supply of London. "We believe this can be done without taking in the more turbid of the flood waters, and without injuriously diminishing the volume of the River below the point of abstraction. To ensure the best results in both these respects, the takings of the water should be subject to strict regulations laid down by Parliament. The water allowed to be taken from the River should, in our opinion, include any water which may be pumped from the general beds in the vicinity of the River. "From the River Lea.—The available drainage area of the Lea above the lower intake of the East London Company is stated by Mr. |
c4b085d8-f870-41e0-9443-1830ed54cf1c | Bryan to be 460 square miles; and the mean rainfall upon it is stated by Mr. Syrnons to be 26 inches. No gaugings of the discharge has ever been made at or below the intakes; but they have been kept for many years at Fielde's Weir, which has above it (as before stated) an area of 422 square miles. From this point we have made out that, on the average of three consecutive dry years, 81,000,000 gallons a day will flow off by the River. We have no definite evidence as to the capability of the district below; but from some remarks of Mr. Bryan's, we judge that he does not calculate upon getting an additional quantity proportional to the whole area, and we shall probably be safe in calling the total available quantity 85,000.000 gallons. |
042c27f1-243d-4772-ae6b-6b5b03a2678f | Of this the New River Company draw 22,500,000 gallons direct from the River above Ware; and the East London Company have at times taken 37,000,000 gallons. Dealing with the River as a whole, this abstraction is, in our opinion, too great with the storage now in existence; but if other reservoirs were constructed, adequately increasing the storage capacity on well recognized lines, 52,500,000 gallons a 51 day may be obtained. The taking of the water should be under regulations similar in character to those suggested for the Thames, viz.—the first flush of floods to be rejected, and in dry weather no water to be abstracted when the flow has run down to a quantity hereafter to be determined. "From Wells in the Lea Valley.—Into this part of the case we have already gone very fully; and we need only repeat here that in very dry years the Companies should not calculate upon obtaining more than 40,000,000 gallons a day. |
2654121c-0eb6-456e-a479-c4203c843d80 | "From the Chalk on the South Side of the Thames.— From the existing wells of the Kent Company, and others which may be sunk within their district, we think that 27,500,000 gallons a day may safely be taken. From the tract of chalk country in the valley of the Medway and larger area farther eastward to the coast, a very considerable addition is also undoubtedly procurable. "The summary of the several quantities above stated is as follows :—From the River Thames, 300,000,000 gallons per day; from the River Lea, 52,500,000 gallons; from wells in the Lea Valley, 40,000,000 gallons; from wells in the Kent Company's district, 27,500,000 gallons—total 420,000,000 gallons, sufficient, at 35 gallons per head per day, for a population of 12,000,000." Conclusions. |
39305958-2394-4757-bf97-76e63d777571 | The Commissioners then state that— "We are strongly of opinion that the water as supplied to the consumer in London is of a very high standard of excellence and of purity, and that it is suitable in quality for all household purposes. We are well aware that a certain prejudice exists against the use of drinking water derived from the Thames and the Lea, because these rivers are liable to pollution, however perfect the subsequent purification, either by natural or artificial means, may be. But, having regard to the experience of London during the last thirty years, and to the evidence given 52 to us on the subject, we do not believe that any danger exists of the spread of disease by the use of this water, provided that there.is adequate storage, and the same is efficiently filtered before delivery to the consumers. |
5b08cc27-a606-4ab3-9cfb-af4e6eb33c60 | "With respect to the quantity of water which can be obtained within the watersheds of the Thames and the Lea, we are of opinion that, if the proposals we have recommended are adopted, a sufficient supply to meet the wants of the Metropolis for a long time to come may be found without any prejudice to the claims, or material injury to the interests, of any district outside the area of Greater London. We are of opinion that an average daily supply of 40,000,000 gallons can be obtained from wells and springs in the chalk of the Lea Valley without affecting any material interests, but that, if this quantity be exceeded, it is probable that the springs and wells in the parts of the Valley immediately adjacent to the wells and all the districts farther down the Valley may be injuriously affected. "From wells in the chalk area on the south side of the Thames, in the district of the Kent Company, we are of opinion that a daily average supply of 27,500,000 gallons may be obtained. |
006ece63-715c-477c-a529-27774cea898c | We think it of very great importance that distinct obligations should be laid upon any company or Local Authority which is allowed to pump water from the chalk for purposes of public supply to keep accurate observation of the effect of their operations on the level of the water in the wells from which they pump, and return the results to the Water Examiner under such regulations as may be framed. "The great difficulty which we have had to encounter has been in getting accurate and reliable information as to the actual effect of the operations now carried on. The importance of procuring this will increase each year as the limit of what can be taken from any district with safety is gradually being reached. From the River Lea we are of opinion what with adequate 53 additions to the present system of storage 52,500,000 gallons may be taken daily. |
afde6617-dbc5-4015-98e0-efd80a361505 | We are of opinion that, by the construction of storage reservoirs in the Thames Valley, at no great distance above the intakes of the Companies, it will be possible to obtain an average daily supply of 300,000,000 gallons without taking in any objectionable part of the flood water. The average daily flow of the Thames at Teddington Weir, adding the water taken by the Companies, is about 1,350,000,000 gallons per day. |
ecce9702-700f-4817-82fa-a581ab68d019 | It will thus be seen that, when 300,000,000 gallons are taken, there will be left to flow down into the tidal portion of the river an average daily quantity of not less than 1,000,000,000; and we think that regulations could be framed under which the quantity we suggest could be taken, not only without reducing the flow of the river on the rare occasions of exceptional drought to the present minimum, but in such a way as to secure that the volume of water left in the river at these times should be substantially greater than it is under existing conditions. "To our minds, one great advantage of such a scheme of storage reservoirs is that it can be carried out progressively to meet the increasing demands for water; and should the population not grow so rapidly as we have thought it right to contemplate, the extensions may be from time to time deferred as successive decennial enumerations reveal that the ratio of increase is remaining stationary or even falling. |
d774c840-7b65-4305-966e-860d3c513ccb | From the sources and by the methods we have mentioned, a daily supply of 424,000,000 gallons can, in our opinion, be obtained. This is a sufficient quantity to supply 35 gallons per head to a population of 12,000,000 persons, which is about three-quarters of a million in excess of what the total population of Greater London, together \yith the outlying parts of Water London, will have become in 1931 even if the ratio of increase in the last decennial period from 1881 to 1931 is fully maintained. We are further of opinion that a large supply of water might be obtained from the chalk area east of the Kent Companies' district in the basis of the Medway, and in the district further east, without any risk whatever of damage to that area." 54 THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL AND ITS VIEWS UPON THE WATER SUPPLY. |
0a603481-40f9-40bf-b822-3d9459752433 | Of these witnesses examined whose evidence was directly adverse to the reservoir and storage schemes put forward by the Companies, that of Mr. A. R. Binnie, M. Inst., C.E., Chief Engineer to the London County Council, was the most important. Mr. Binnie's evidence was to the effect that the supply that could be drawn from the Thames and the Lea was wholly insufficient to meet the future wants of Greater London; and he stated that, in his opinion, deeper storage reservoirs in the Thames Valley were impracticable, and, further, that any large increase in quantity pumped from the chalk formations would only ultimately diminish the amount of surface water in the various contributory streams, and therefore could not be reckoned on for increasing the supply. |
abf5e5e0-bdbb-430c-b775-2c90a46f77de | The Water Committee of the London County Council issued a memorandum by its Chairman and a series of reports by the principal officers of the Council on the report of the Royal Commission on the Metropolitan Water Supply by which it will be seen that the conclusions of the Royal Commission are controverted to a certain extent. An admirable synopsis of the views of the London County Council and its chief officials appeared in the British Medical Journal, which is here closely followed. The Want of Finality in the Commission's Recommendations. Mr. Basset Hopkins, the Chairman of Committee, in his memorandum, insists strongly on the narrowness of the scope of the inquiry by the Royal Commission, and points out that mischievous consequences may follow, and the Council may be grievously hampered in its action if people accept the idea that the report was the result of an all-embracing investigation of the general subject. The real question which is of most interest to Londoners is what is the best course for London to pursue 55 under the circumstances? |
c7acf957-f07f-4c84-b868-8e82393491c4 | But this never entered into the reference to the Commission, and in considering their report it has constantly to be borne in mind that whatever they say in support of the prospective sufficiency (for forty years only) of the watersheds of the Thames and Lea has no bearing on the real question whether new gathering grounds ought not to be sought for outside that area altogether. Considerable stress is laid on the shortness of the term of forty years to which the Commission have limited their forecast. The capacity of the Thames and Lea watersheds as sources of supply may be expected to have reached, or nearly reached, their limit about the year 1931, and then it will be impossible any further to delay turning to some outside source. By that time, however, the best gathering grounds in the country, which " are already being rapidly taken possession of by other municipalities," may be lost to us. |
5870c079-196c-47ac-9b2b-6461ae334447 | In regard to this, one has to bear in mind the long time which is required for the execution of the vast works necessary in large water schemes, and Mr. Binnie, the Council's chief engineer, says plainly that the people of London, "will, at some not very distant date (probably twenty years hence) have to contemplate the exhaustion of the supplies which can be obtained in the Thames Valley" and the necessity of looking elsewhere for an increased supply. "One of the greatest blots upon the finding of the Royal Commission" is that "it can in no way be considered a final settlement of the case." This limitation of forecast to forty years is all the more curious in view of the fact that two members of the Royal Commission, giving evidence before the House of Lords on the Birmingham water scheme, gave much longer periods as the time for which estimates should be made, Mr. G. H. Hill stating that provision for a large town should be for a period of not less than 50 years, and Mr. |
505e7690-b8dd-4735-9e9c-eb2f51c6ba9e | James Mansergh, the engineer to the scheme, indicating that he calculated his supply for some sixty-four years, and on that basis laid out the 56 works which the Corporation of Birmingham are now carrying out. The Effect of Dry Seasons. Mr. Binnie shows in a striking way the difference between averages and actualities in regard to the flow of water down a river bed. The Royal Commissioners contemplating taking 300 million gallons from the Thames daily, trusting to the fact that the average daily flow at Teddington weir is about 1,350 million gallons; but Mr. Binnie shows that during certain dry months the total average flow would often only slightly exceed the amount of water required by the Companies, and in such a case as that of September, 1893, the total flow would not come up to the requirements. If the extreme minimum flow per twenty-four hours is taken, the difficulty of providing a supply both for the River and the Metropolis is still more apparent. Tests Not to be Relied on. |
a0b47927-7990-402b-96d5-269a35519022 | There is a good deal of common sense in some of the remaks in the reports about the safety, or otherwise, of polluted waters. Mr. Binnie draws attention to the fact that" the Royal Commissioners received although they do not quote it, some very strong evidence from one of the highest authorities, namely, Sir G. Buchanan, M.D., F.R.S., late Chief Medical Officer to the Local Government Board." This evidence was to the effect that neither chemical nor bacteriological tests were to be relied on as to the purity of water, that we did not know how small an amount of morbific material, if it gained access to the water, might set up disease, and that the way to gain information as to purity and safety was to search out the conditions surrounding water courses and water services. Asked what would be his treatment of the water if it were found to be polluted, he could only answer that "there was nothing for it but either to boil the polluted water, or else to leave it alone." |
c01111a7-1558-4bf0-83b3-ab26bc2071d4 | 57 In face of such evidence from such an authority we turn with interest to the paragraphs in Mr. Binnie's report summarising the pollutions of the Thames water, which the Commission thinks good enough for London. It seems that at the census of 1891 there was a population of 1,056,415 persons draining into the river above the intakes, and that in the last thirty years this population had increased from 816,814 to its present number. That, however, gives but a poor idea of the increase which is going on in the urban population living on the banks of the Thames and its Tributaries, many of these towns having more than doubled their size in thirty years "Besides this human population there are probably 1,600,000 animals inhabiting the above area." Consequently it is clear that if the Thames is to be retained as a source of water supply, the people of London must drink the more or less clarified excreta of this vast population. |
54c87cf7-7719-46b3-a1b5-354e155ab1f9 | To show what is likely to happen in the future, it is mentioned that in the present session of Parliament "the authorities of Swindon and Ticehurst, Pangbourne and district are applying for further water powers. What must be the result? They will either pump from wells or the River comparatively clean water which now flows down to supply London, and after defiling it by passing it through their bodies and water closets will return it directly or indirectly into the Thames to flow down and be drunk by the people of London." Impossible to Keep Out Sewage. Now about the purification of this water. Dr. Frankland is quoted as saying "That it is practically impossible to keep sewage or sewage effluents out of the River." "There is no positive evidence that the filtered water is unwholesome, but the lives of a large community ought not to be dependent on the efficient filtering plant of commercial companies. |
f05ea2f0-cdd5-4f18-b711-862d44e3ee9e | Under present circumstances, a serious epidemic of typhoid or cholera in the Thames basin above the intakes, 58 would be attended with great risk to the water drinkers of London. Such experiments should not be tried upon large communities." It would appear, then, that while Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham find it necessary "to go to great distances to secure, undoubtedly pure and uncontaminated water, even to the extent of excluding the flow from cultivated land, yet it is quite sufficient for the people of London to supply them with the effluent water of their neighbours' water closets." The Quality of Present Sources of Supply. Mr. Shirley Murphy, Medical Officer to the London County Council, confines his observations to that portion of the report of the Royal Commission which relate to the quality of the present sources of supply. |
5f606639-21c3-444a-8c57-a71072abd2ca | The Royal Commission had before it evidence, he says, which showed that the rivers from which the Water Companies draw their supplies receive from the towns, situated on their banks at varying distances above the intakes sewage effluents, which, after treatment of the sewage, either by filtration through land or by chemical processes, enter smaller rivers. In addition to these numerous pollutions from smaller populations discharging into cesspools and ditches reach, untreated, the streams at times of heavy rainfall. Such sewage must not infrequently contain the excremental matter of persons suffering from typhoid fever and may not improbably in the future contain from time to time the excreta of persons suffering from cholera. The virus of both these diseases has been found by past experience to have been disseminated by water and to have produced fatal results in persons drinking such water. |
f3d50215-5077-4a8d-bbac-074eea4b2f54 | "Not only are these diseases known to be waterborne, but experience has shown that a very small amount of the excremental matter of persons suffering from them is capable under favourable circumstances of infecting Vast volumes of water." 59 Insufficiency of Natural Purification. After describing the various circumstances which are shown by the Commission to contribute to the purification of the rivers, Mr. Murphy says: "The fact may be accepted that these powers exist and are operating in the Thames and Lea to an extent which contributes in no small degree to the safety of the London water consumer." Yet the Commission evidently does not look upon these natural processes as in themselves sufficient to render the water fit for domestic purposes, but is only satisfied that agencies and the operations of the water companies combined, suffice to ensure that wholesome water is supplied to the consumer. |
dbdf0eb1-ab37-4ae0-9cda-a83ff3c05b9a | As it is probable that the completeness of the future operations of the water companies may depend upon the necessity which can be shown for efficient filtration, it is a matter of great importance that the natural processes of purification should not be held to be more deserving of confidence than they really are. After a careful study of the statements in the Commission's report, Mr. Murphy is led to think that some of the reasons given for assuming that the London population is not exposed to risk are less deserving of acceptance than appears at first sight. The very full information afforded in the report of the Royal Commission is of the utmost possible value as assisting to give definite form to a general comprehension of the real condition of the water supply of the Metropolis, present and future. It has always been a cherished article of faith in this country that the water of the River Thames is of unsurpassable quality for all domestic purposes. |
8b893118-fb98-4c33-ae0b-900d24ff2002 | Nothing can be found in the report which in any way disturbs this conviction, and it may be assumed, as has always been urged in these reports, that the water supplied to London, if properly treated by the avoidance of pollution, ample storage (in order to avoid the necessity of taking in water from the river when in flood, as the organic pollution is 60 then at the maximum), and efficient filtration, is all that can be desired. The second point as to how long the quantity will suffice for the needs of ever-growing London is also fully gone into, and half-a-century is defined as the probable period. Of course there is much to be said on the other side, and that is lucidly given in the objections to the report of the Royal Commission urged by the London County Council and its officers. |
9aa6d9d9-2bde-4ba9-a733-8007982052cc | Although very little is definitely said on the subject, the impression which the perusal of the report leaves upon the mind is that the whole control of the water supply, from the sources to the final delivery to the consumer, should be in the hands of one authority, and that the time has arrived when competing companies, the result of private enterprise, should no longer be left in possession of a monopoly of the primary necessity of existence. The "British Medical Journal" remarks, in an editorial, that the position of affairs in regard to the London water supply is becoming very critical, for, on the one hand, if certain schemes which are ready for the consideration of Parliament be accepted, London will be practically tied to the Thames and Lea for another generation, while, on the other hand, even the County Council itself is hesitating to adopt the recommendation of its own Water Committee to go to pure sources for a pure supply. Much has been made of the enormous expenditure which the bringing of water from Wales must necessarily involve. |
d3579bab-daa3-4fbb-afbc-5f58100ae920 | But although we quite recognise the greatness of the cost, we also recognise the greatness of the evil which it is meant to obviate— namely, the continued use of a water supply drawn from sources which are every year becoming more foul. Moreover, it must not be forgotten that if the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Metropolitan Water Supply are adopted in their entirety, as they should be by those who found their advice upon them, a very large expenditure would be involved in making the 61 river water safe to use. In fact, if the statements of the Water Committee are to be accepted, even this matter of expense by no means weighs in favour of the old supply. |
07a51a90-25c2-4888-a179-1b889e028696 | The report goes so far as to state that while the expense of providing London with an extra 240 million gallons of water a day from present sources would amount to upwards of £100,000 per million gallons, the expense of fetching 182 million gallons per day from Wales would be but £96,000 per million gallons, while to bring 415 million gallons would in proportion cost less still. The patent fact and the standing menace to the safety of London is this, that the Thames and the Lea drain populous, highly cultivated, and therefore highly polluted areas. There was in 1891 a population of 1,056,415 persons living on the land which drains into the Thames above the various intakes of the water companies at or near Molesey, and this population is rapidly increasing. On the same area there were also probably about 1,600,000 animals. No doubt the art of filtering water has been, theoretically at any rate, brought to a pitch of very considerable perfection. |
9f7b2f1f-7066-4b23-99b3-3825c3be9c84 | But it certainly sometimes fails, and it is clear that so long as we drink water derived from a thickly populated area over which the use of waterclosets is rapidly extending, so long must we remain absolutely dependent on the unintermitting efficiency of processes of sedimentation and filtration for our protection from the evils of drinking sewage. Let us compare with these tainted sources the gathering ground offered by the County Council's Water Committee. "The areas from which the water would be derived are composed of the impermeable beds of the primary rocks of the old red sandstone and silurian systems, which are noted for the purity of the water which flows from their slopes. Owing to the general altitude of these districts on the steep slopes of the surrounding hills arable cultivation is almost impossible, the lower portions being chiefly composed of mountain pastures running up into bare unculturable wastes, with but a sparse population in any part." |
96f4ded6-b42f-4885-9104-fe6cbd8493a9 | As we understand the suggested plans, the land from which the 62 water is to be derived would be purchased outright, certain villages would be abolished, drains would be dug out and cleansed, burial grounds would be cleared of their contents, and the whole area would be devoted to its one purpose of gathering water for the supply of London. We assert, then, that there is no comparison between the two alternatives, and that if London wants to have pure water its engineers should go at once to a pure source rather than adopt mechanical means, however ingenious, for clarifying water which has once been sewage. It seems to be maintained by some that so great is the power of filtration, that it really does not much matter where water comes from, and that notwithstanding all we know as to the material which flows into the Thames and Lea, their water has only to be filtered to be rendered wholesome. The wisdom of trusting everything to a process which is so rough and ready, and so liable to break down in its various details, must be seriously doubted. |
42069acc-2b9e-427f-b62b-e5055d9f22a8 | We have lately been told that after the filtration to which London water is subjected it is sometimes absolutely sterile; but that is not the point. The real criterion by which filtration has to be judged is not its power of occasionally producing a pure effluent, but of always keeping back such micro-organisms as may be present in the water. As a matter of fact, a certain percentage only appears to be kept back, and so long as the occurrence of floods in the river is found to influence the character of water in the pipes, so long must we be allowed to distrust filtration as a reliable means of producing a pure water from a doubtful source, although it is of course admitted that when no pure source is available it is the best that can be done. The assertion made lately that the bacillus of typhoid fever has never been discovered in the water supplied by the London companies has been accepted by some as showing that, at least so far as typhoid is concerned, London water is innocuous. |
b5af6e83-07aa-4cc0-accc-076394a2ebda | In relation to this, it may be well to recall to mind the 63 tions made by Mr. Parry Laws and Dr. Andrewes in regard to the presence of this organism in sewage. The most careful search failed to show it in the sewage at the outfalls, although it was estimated that there were 200 cases of typhoid fever in London at the time. It was, however, found in the main drain leading from the fever hospital at Homerton, in which some 40 cases were being treated, but even in this case, on going about a quarter of a mile further down the drain, the bacillus could no longer be discovered, Yet no one would accept the nondiscovery of the typhoid bacillus as proving, or even suggesting, the wholesomeness of London sewage, and the same may be said in regard to its non-discovery in London water. |
f20cd439-e75c-42ad-8e07-0ff6c4d298e3 | In the present state of knowledge on such matters we are driven back to much the same opinion as that held by the late Sir George Buchanan, who said that he did not think that it was possible, either by chemical, microscopical, or bacteriological processes, to say when a water was or was not injurious, and that there was no way of arriving at a solution of this question except by inspecting the sources of supply, and seeing if they were or were not polluted. According to this criterion London river water stands absolutely and hopelessly condemned. The bill, introduced by Lord James of Hereford, on behalf of the Government, in the House of Lords, and which has at the time of writing been read for the first time, provides for the formation of a water Board for the Metropolis, which is to take over the Water Companies' business and plant and to have absolute powers to regulate the sources of supply. |
3210736f-45a6-473b-954f-b059d38fbddd | Lord James of Hereford said, in presenting "a bill for the better control and regulation of the water supply to the metropolis and the surrounding districts," that the great public interest that was felt in the question of the supply of water to the metropolis rendered it advisable that a short statement should be made as to the nature of the provisions of the bill which he was about to present to the House for the better 64 control and regulation of the water supply to the metropolis and the surrounding districts. The bill had been framed by the Government upon the assumption that there existed a great and a growing opinion that the time had come when the management of the water supply of the metropolis and the surrounding districts should be vested in a responsible and public representative body. |
b38dcb2e-8dc6-48b3-bc12-123a5d405b87 | That assumption was not founded upon the view that the water companies had neglected their duties to the consumer ; but, at the same time, it was somewhat anomalous that the interests of the management should be placed in the hands of trading companies, who must have the duty cast upon them of considering the interests of their shareholders as well as the interests of the consumer. This view of giving the management of the water supply to a public body had received a great deal of Parliamentary sanction. Thirty years had passed since the Commission presided over by the Duke of Richmond recommended the creation of such a body as was now proposed for regulating the water supply of the metropolis. In 1880 Sir William Harcourt's Committee arrived at the same conclusion, and other Committees have reported to the same effect. In these circumstances he hoped there would be a consensus of opinion as to the need of such a body. It must be a municipal body. |
958e49ba-2ef1-4323-8128-cfcf973c7de0 | No one, he thought, would suggest that it should be an Imperial body or that Parliament should take charge of such interests as the water supply of a great community. Assuming that it should be a municipal body, the assumption would also be granted that it should be a representative body. The Government, therefore, proposed to establish a municipal and representative body to take charge of the water interests of London. Looking round to see whether there was such a body in existence, the Government found many municipal councils having the control of their districts; but it was agreed that the only body to whom these powers could be entrusted was the London County Conncil. When, however, the question was asked whether those powers should be vested immediately and solely in the County Council other considerations presented 65 themselves. The supply of water for London came from eight different companies, and that supply covered not only the area under the jurisdiction of the London County Council, but many outside areas, which ought to be termed "Water London.'' |
cce1a35a-bf33-4e9a-917f-12df78573578 | These areas extended over different counties, Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertford. They extended from the borough of Croydon to the borough of West Ham, and far beyond the centre of London to Romford in Essex, Esher in Surrey, and Chatham in Kent. They represented 620 square miles, of which the London County Council control only 120 square miles. It was, therefore, difficult to suppose that these large outside areas would be content to be governed by a body to which they sent no representative. The Government had, therefore come to the conclusion that it would be impossible to accept the London County Council as the only power to control these large outside areas. They had, in fact, determined that a new municipal and representative body should be elected by all those who would be governed by that body. The question remained, How was that body to be formed? |
c7acc8da-9436-41b5-9e2e-a6cd239071e1 | In the first place, with regard to numbers, it was difficult to demonstrate the wisdom of any particular number; but it was considered that thirty would represent a fairly constituted body, not too large to relieve members of the sense of individual responsibility. If this number was accepted, they had then to consider by whom the members of the body should be elected. Although the Government had decided that they could not place this power in the hands of the London County Council alone, they could not, of course, take exception to the view that the County Council was entitled to the very greatest consideration. The County Council, as he had said, controls 120 of the 620 square miles of" Water London," but geographical area could not be the only and the final test; the population and the property within the area must be taken into consideration. If that were done the preponderance of the London County Council area became apparent. |
067f2220-1223-4733-a9ea-24ffd8787657 | The population of "Water London" was, according to the census of 1891, 6,500,000, whilst the population of the 66 County Council area was 4,232,000. The rateable value of "Water London" was £41,750,000, of which £30,000,000 was within the County Council area, and £11,750,000 outside that area. Of course that gave a greatly preponderant claim to the County Council, having regard to the proportion of population and rateable value. But they could not proceed upon that assumption alone. Other matters had to be considered. Whilst there was no reason why the representatives of, say, West Ham, Croydon, and Hertford should join together for common action, they could contemplate the County Council representatives acting as one. Then there was another grave consideration in seeking to determine the number of representatives to whom these large interests should be committed. |
953537e4-ac17-4186-b8d5-ddc4a76d0f20 | The legislation which the Government were proposing was not legislation for the present time alone. It was essentially legislation for the future as well as for the present. There were many who said, " the water supply of London is sufficient; "but there were also others who, with perhaps greater force, affirmed that, looking at the growth of London, the time was approaching when preparations should be made to meet the demands of Greater London. Between 1841 and 1891 the population of Greater London had increased from 2¼ millions to 5½ millions, or more than double, and from a report published in 1893 by Lord Balfour's Commission there was every reason to believe that in thirty-five years, in 1931, the population of Greater London would exceed 11,000,000, or more than double the population at the present time. They ought, therefore, to constitute this governing body so as to meet the requirements to some extent of the future as well as of the present. |
d22131a8-cacf-4f2a-b3eb-f96cded42ecc | Then they had to ask, where would that future growth of population be most shown as time went on? It would without doubt be outside the area of central London. Apart from the fact that the building of the future must to a great extent be outside the area of central London, there was the tendency of people to leave the urban parts in order to live in the suburban and even the rural parts. The result of these tendencies must be that in 1931 there would 67 be a suburban population outside London as great as that within the central area. It might be said that we ought to wait for that time; but it must be remembered that the action of the body about to be created would be the action for all time. Whatever that action might be, the cost would fall upon the future. |
f8aa35a8-87dd-4319-9544-00cc6d42e289 | That was the reason why they did not accept the numerical proportion of consumers in the London area as a guide to the representation, but they suggested as the proper proportion of that representation that the London County Council should have a majority on this body. He had mentioned thirty as the constitution of this Board. Of these twenty-eight would be ascribed to the different areas, and those would be the representatives of the consumers. Of these twenty-eight they have sixteen to the London County Council. To the Corporation of the City of London they gave two members. To the County Councils of Middlesex, Essex, and West Ham they also gave two each, and to the counties of Surrey, Kent, and Hertford, and to Croydon, they gave one each. They had taken into account the greater population of the counties to which two members had been given. |
9e9ef604-b493-41b6-95d3-e16d682ad10a | They felt that the Thames Conservancy was a body which required representation, for the greater portion of the water supply of London proceeded from the Thames ; and as to obtaining a sufficient supply and its purity that Board was the guardian of the public, therefore they had given it one representative in the proposed trust. The case of the Lea Conservancy Board was not so strong, but he did not think they could refuse to give them a representative. One great question which had arisen was whether the representation should be direct or indirect. Direct representation would of course mean an appeal to the ratepayers in all these areas. In the first place they came to the conclusion that the inhabitants of the metropolis had quite enough local elections at the present time. They also felt that there might be a difficulty in the ratepayers selecting proper persons as members of this board. |
25519ba0-196a-4ac6-b646-d0b4c4d6e0e5 | There might be a vast number of candidates nominated, and there might be contested elections, and yet they might not 68 always obtain the best men to represent the interests of the ratepayers. Under these circumstances the Government had felt that the County Councils could be trusted to select the members to be placed on this trust. (Hear, hear.) In the old times it was objected that the Metropolitan Board of Works could not make such a selection, but that was not a popularly elected body. That could not, he thought, be said of the London County Council. The election of the County Council was a popular election, and would make the indirect representation upon this water trust sufficiently in touch with the ratepayers. The Government had felt that it was not necessary that the members of the water trust should be members of the respective county councils or bodies by which they were elected. |
cd191a90-8d42-47b5-8238-e535f7faead4 | He had heard the London County Council had great and important duties cast upon them, and, however meritorious their efforts to discharge them might be, they pressed heavily upon them. Further, it might be the wish of the county councils to select from outside their body men of great knowledge and experience in these matters, There remained one other great question. Having formed this body under the bill, what were the powers and duties they were going to vest in it. He knew there were some persons who anticipated that this bill would solve every difficulty. The Government had made every attempt to see how far the bill could solve the difficulties which had arisen, and it had been found impossible by a public bill to bring all these matters to a solution. When what they had to deal with was recognised it would be seen that this bill could not solve every difficulty. The interests of the water companies must be acquired in some way. |
e20f4b62-0974-4901-94c2-6737e05777f5 | They must receive compensation, the terms under which the transfer of their interest was to take place must be so arranged, and, he said it with all deference, these were matters which could not be dealt with in a public bill, but which would have to be dealt with by subsequent private legislation. The body being created, they had endeavoured to give it a very wide power, trusting to its judgment and discretion entirely. It would be for this body, whenever 69 it came into existence, to meet and deliberate, and to do what it could to acquire the great interests the care of which would be placed in its hands. Of course, it must do this subject to the sanction of Parliament. They could not give it compulsory rating powers until the powers it sought were known. When the new body asked for this or that power it would be for those who were interested in relation to the exercise of these powers to be heard also, and then for Parliament to give its final decision. |
07884d50-28ad-46d8-9e71-ba2b60d9d38a | With this object in view they gave this body power to enter on any negotiation and make any agreement they could, and take over the interests of the companies by adoption; but they had purposely left this discretion and power in as general terms as possible, in order that the new body might be unfettered in its action. As a preliminary matter he would place in their hands all the existing powers of control over water companies now in the hands of the London County Council under the Metropolitan Acts, and which might be usefully exercised until the property passed into their own hands. He was aware that when this body came into existence there would be some objection made to it probably by the representative of outside areas. They might say, "You are joining us too closely with Central London; we represent rural districts; let us manage our own water supply; let us be free to make our own arrangements; we do not want to go far afield to supply our rural districts." |
fab047ba-cf13-4619-89ba-766a56b1b50f | There might be great force in all these objections, but these rural districts could not be left out; they could not dissect the water supply, and say one county should take so much and another so much. That must be a matter of arrangement, and must be approved by Parliament. Therefore they had put into the bill a clause which would enable the outside districts to make arrangements for autonomous rights, and so to fall out of the trust. That clause was inserted in the hope that it might facilitate these bodies maintaining their freedom of action. He believed he had now mentioned the principal provisions of the bill. There were other provisions for facilitating the action of the new body, but he did not think it necessary to 70 detail them. The Government had had but one object in view. They had been aware of many interests which had been called into action in relation to this question of water supply, and were fully aware of the contentions which had taken place in years past as to these interests. |
a4fca415-0e4d-451f-b536-cf4fa43c0dfa | In view of that the Government thought the time had come for these contentions to be brought to an end, and their wish had been to act, as it were, as arbitrators between the different interests. In now presenting the bill to the house, he asked for it not only that impartial consideration which he knew it would receive, but the assistance of their lordships, and if any suggestions were made which would tend to the improvement of the bill, and would make it a more workable and useful measure, the Government would not turn a deaf ear to such suggestions from whatever quarter of the House they might come. Lord Tweedmouth suggested that the title of the bill should be, " A bill to exclude the London County Council from attempting to deal with the water question." He maintained that the provisions as to this new body ran counter to every precedent to be found in the country. In the case of the great cities— Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, and Cardiff—all had dealt with this question through their corporations. |
4ab0b82f-0b6b-4d90-ba3f-6632f3e145f3 | They also had had the question of areas to deal with, and had devised systems which worked perfectly. Setting aside the question as to the advisability of setting up a new body to represent London—a question which he thought would have suggested itself to the Marquis of Salisbury, who had often denounced the multiplication of these bodies—the proposals of the bill ran counter to the wishes of the various bodies which were to be included in the trust. The Government had not consulted the various local authorities round about London or obtained their consent to this proposal. He was well aware of the fact that none of the surrounding authorities wished this trust to be constituted at all. He contended that the London County Council ought to be the water authority for London, and emphatically protested against the constitution of a new authority for that purpose. 71 Sanitary Legislation during 1895. The Bills introduced into Parliament during the Session dealing with matters of interest to Sanitarians, were but six in number, but one of which, the Factories and Workshops Bill became law. |
f631441d-3e30-4124-9004-8799bf46210e | The Architects Registration Bill to provide for the Registration of Architects, so as to enable qualified to be distinguished from unqualified practitioners, was opposed by the Architectural Societies on the ground that they carried out the proposed objects already, and the Bill was dropped. The Sanitary Registration Bill proposed to form an additional authority to those already existing, to inspect every dwellinghouse, school, college, hospital, asylum, workhouse, factory, workshop, hotel, and lodging house. As this would clash with and interrupt the work of the existing local authorities it was almost universally opposed, and was not reached before the close of the Session. It will probably not be re-introduced. The Plumbers' Registration Bill met with considerable opposition, and was also not reached when the Session ended. The Rivers Pollution Prevention Bill to make more effectual provision for prevention of the Pollution of Rivers and Streams was also not reached. |
e96a2613-1d47-4a3a-b94b-2293cbadee87 | The Public Health Bill to confer upon County Councils additional powers for securing uniformity in the administration of the Public Health Acts within their districts, was an administrative rather than a Sanitary measure. It was eventually withdrawn. The Cremation Bill to empower Burial Boards and Local Authorities to provide for the cremation of human bodies was not reached. The Public Health Amendment Bill. A Bill to amend the Public Health Acts with respect to the definition of Drains 72 and Sewers was withdrawn, but is included in the measures of 1896 in an altered form. The Factories and Workshops Bill, the sole survivor of the proposed Sanitary Legislation of the Session 1895, passed through the various stages and became law. The following memorandum was issued by the Chief Inspector of Factories, and the Vestry's staff has been working with the Inspectors as suggested therein. The passing of the Act has entailed considerable additional work on the Sanitary Department. MEMORANDUM. |
704e40c6-bd17-4061-89a6-ed251578d9dc | For the various Acts to have the beneficial effect desired, it is absolutely necessary that there should be thorough co-operation between the Sanitary Authorities and H.M. Inspectors of Factories, and with that object in view I have requested H.M. Inspectors to have a conference with each Medical Officer in their respective districts. The administration of the sanitary provisions relating to workshops was transferred to the Local Authorities with the intention of relieving the Factory Inspectors to a great extent of the inspection of workshops so far as sanitary matters are concerned. By section 26, 1891, notices of the opening of new workshops, and by section 41, 1895, of all workshops, have to be sent to the Inspector of Factories, and when he receives such notices he is required to forthwith forward them to the Sanitary Authority of the district in which the workshop is situate. |
e6a22860-dcd4-4909-ad92-30fdb7cb02ee | A very large proportion of workshops, especially in the boot and shoe trade, only employ men, and the Medical Officer of Health is required by section 3 (1891), whenever he becomes aware of any child, young person, or woman being employed in a workshop, forthwith to give written notice thereof to the Factory Inspector of the district. If in the course of his inspections the Inspector of Factories observes that any of the 73 visions of the Public Health Act are disregarded, he is required by section 4, 1878, to give notice in writing to the Sanitary Authority of the district, and such Sanitary Authority is to make inquiry into the complaint. The Act of 1895, section 3, makes it the duty of the Sanitary Authority to inform the Inspector of Factories as to the proceedings taken in consequence of the notice. |
0b00cba4-c616-4a3f-81ed-7307394a796d | But if within one month (Factory Act, 1895, section 3, and 1891, section 2) proceedings are not taken by the Sanitary Authority for punishing or remedying the act, neglect, or default, the Inspectors of Factories are authorised to take such proceedings and recover from the Sanitary Authority all expenses incurred in any successful proceedings except such as are recovered from any other person. Section 1, by enacting definitely that 250 cubic feet must be allowed, will render the administration of the law with respect to overcrowding much easier of enforcement. The requirement of 400 cubic feet when working overtime remains as before. Section 2, giving power to obtain an order from a court of summary jurisdiction as to dangerous parts of a factory or workshop, will enable H.M. Inspectors to secure the fencing of dangerous vats and tanks, and to guard against such evils as could not be remedied under the provisions of the law relating to public health. |
06429d98-7925-4647-8db5-12d13400b67a | With reference to section 6, it will be the duty of H.M. Inspectors to take proceedings if wearing apparel is made in factory or workshop where any inmate in the building is suffering from scarlet fever or small-pox. Under section 7, 1891, and section 10, 1895, it is the duty of the Sanitary Authority to visit the factories or workshops where more than 40 persons are employed, and ascertain that suitable provision is made for escape in case of fire, and if the Sanitary Authority have neglected this duty, and it is evident that the means of escape are insufficient, it is the duty of H.M. Inspector to give notice to the Sanitary Authority. 74 Where in any factory or workshop the Inspector considers a moveable fire-escape necessary for the safety of the workers, H.M. Inspector should obtain an order from the magistrates for the occupier to supply the same under section 10, 1895. |
5d79c1a3-e45f-4141-afc5-54fe940d6a19 | Section 14 restricts overtime to women where overtime is worked under section 53, 1878, and has curtailed the number of days on which overtime can be worked. There are other restrictions as to overtime and hours of work in the same section. Section 15 requires registers to be kept of children and young persons in workshops where overtime is worked under section 53, 1878, but it is not necessary in workshops to have certificates from the Certifying Surgeon. It has been the custom in some factories and workshops to give women and young persons work to take home after having been employed in the works both before and after dinner; this is now prohibited. In other cases they have employed them in the retail shop after the day's work in the factory or workshop. This is now allowed in the case of children, young persons, and women by section 16, provided the total number of hours does not exceed that allowed in the factory or workshop to each class of hands. Section 53, subsection 1. |
e6dc46b1-0757-4bca-9309-aed01689ed61 | "Owner" is thus defined in section 4 of the Public Health Act, 1875, 38 & 39 Vict., c. 55: - " 'Owner' means the person for the time being receiving the rack-rent of the lands or premises in connection with which the word is used, whether on his own account or as agent or trustee for any other person, or who would so receive the same if such lands or premises were let at rack-rent. " |
4d7edf6f-4b10-4087-963c-270b538757a8 | 'Rack-rent' means rent which is not less than two-thirds of the full net annual value of the property out of which the rent arises; and the full net annual value shall be taken to be the rent at which the property might reasonably be cxpected to let 75 from year to year, free from all usual tenant's rates and taxes, and tithe commutation rentcharge (if any), and deducting therefrom the probable average annual cost of the repairs, insurance, and other expenses (if any) necessary to maintain the same in a state to command such rent." R. E. SPRAGUE ORAM, H.M. Chief Inspector of Factories. Home Office, January 10, 1896. The following are the main provisions of the Act to which attention may well be drawn. Its provisions may be grouped, with sufficient comprehensiveness for the purpose of the present summary, under two heads—first, amendments and extensions of existing machinery, and, secondly, new machinery. |
38cc90c3-9e44-4e63-9d5d-ec4fa7ebc076 | Under the former head a variety of provisions have to be noticed. "Overcrowding" is now defined to mean the provision of less than two hundred and fifty cubic feet of space for each person employed, or four hundred feet during any period of overtime. The Secretary of State may, however, by order, modify this proportion for any period during which artificial light other than electric light is being employed. He may also, by order, increase the above-mentioned proportion as regards any particular manufacturing process or handicraft. Again, the prohibition of "children" from cleaning machinery in motion is now extended to "young persons," i. e., persons above fourteen, but under eighteen years of age. The overtime employment of young persons in non-textile factories and workshops is prohibited, while that of women is reduced from five to three days in any one week, and from forty-eight to thirty days in any one year. |
7182a477-1303-4bc5-b871-72f301746493 | The overtime employment of women under the "perishable articles" Clauses of the Factory and Workshops Act, 1878, is cut down from ninety-six to sixty days a year. No "young person" is to be employed under the "letterpress printing works" provision in the Act of 1878 for more 76 than twelve hours continuously. The requirement, in the Act of 1878, of ventilation by fans in any factory where the inhalation of dust may injure the workpeople is extended to any factory or workshop "where any process is carried on by which any gas, vapour, or other impurity is generated and inhaled by the workers to an injurious extent." Again, the Secretary of State may prohibit, modify, or limit the employment of all or any classes of persons in any process or particular description of manual labour which is certified by the Secretary of State to be injurious to health, or life, or limb. |
a426c122-b9eb-4f98-85e8-7d1ec188a771 | Any prohibitive or restrictive rules made in virtue of this provision are, however, to be laid for forty days, before coming into operation, before both Houses of Parliament. Every medical practitioner attending a patient whom he believes to be suffering from lead, phosphorus, or arsenical poisoning, or anthrax, contracted in any factory or workshop, is to notify his opinion both to the Chief Inspector of Factories and to the certifying surgeon for the district, and the Secretary of State may extend this provision to any other disease occurring in a factory or workshop. A medical practitioner is to be paid for any such notification by the Treasury. Every certifying surgeon is now authorised, if so directed by the Secretary of State, to make any special enquiry and re-examine any young person or child at the expense of the Treasury. |
8ada7cf7-f94e-4979-8a19-0c8c2329e0b2 | It may be convenient to include at this point the provision that any accident causing loss of life, or preventing the person injured from working five hours on any one of the three working days after its occurrence, is to be reported forthwith to the Inspector for the district. To the category which we are considering also belong the following provisions. The arbitrators in any arbitration as to dangerous or unhealthy employments, under the Factory and Workshops Act, 1891, may, if the workmen request it, appoint some person to represent them, and take such part as may be directed in the proceedings. The right of representation thus conceded to the workmen is one of the most important reforms effected by the new Act. Again, "the penal compensation "already provided in the case of persons injured by neglect 77 to fence machinery is now extended to any death or bodily injury or injury to health, springing directly from neglect on the part of the occupier of a factory or workshop to observe any provision of or special rules under the Acts. |
2149a236-8bbc-415f-a688-7ab6b0b7f314 | Lastly, the limitation of the existing provisions for the regulation of bakehouses to places of more than five thousand inhabitants is removed; in "tenement" factories the owner instead of the occupier is made liable for their sanitary condition, fencing, lime-washing, &c.; the provisions of the Act of 1891 with reference to fire-escapes are extended by power being given to a Court of summary jurisdiction to make orders for the provision of moveable fire-escapes not involving structural alterations, wherever, in its opinion, premises are not sufficiently protected in this respect. The Court may also prohibit the use of dangerous machines; home-work is prohibited in the case of children, and young persons and women who have been employed for the full number of hours in a factory or workshop are not to undertake home-work or after-employment in a shop. Under the head of new machinery fall certain provisions in the Factory and Workshops Act, 1895, which go beyond a mere amendment or extension of the machinery of the old law. |
f7f62903-afff-4231-9e8b-34ea9891f0a5 | (1) Laundries carried on for trade and profit are brought within the Acts for certain purposes. This provision does not, however, apply to laundries (a) in prisons, reformatories, or industrial schools; (b) in institutions conducted bona-fide for charitable or religious purposes; (c) where the only persons employed are members of the same family living there; or (d) in which not more than two persons dwelling elsewhere are employed. (2) Adequate measures are to be taken to secure the maintenance of a reasonable temperature in each room in which any person is to be employed. |
881c5b15-7473-47e0-be38-945bdd267e72 | (3) The term "factory" is now— for the purpose of the provisions as to notice and registration of accidents, special rules for dangerous employments, orders as to dangerous machines, and the powers of inspectors—made to 78 include "every dock, wharf, quay, and warehouse, and so far as relates to the process of loading or unloading therefrom or thereto all machinery and plant used in that process," and building operations where steam, &c., machinery is used. This new definition will bring a vast number of employes for the first time within the Act. (4) The occupier of a factory or workshop has various new duties, of a directory character, imposed upon him. If he has not done so under the existing law, he must, under a maximum penalty of five pounds, send to the Inspector a written notice, giving the name of his workshop, and other statutory particulars, before January 1, 1897. |
18bce173-c76e-4ab8-9547-82ed0f8e366f | He must furnish the Inspector every half-year with a list of his employes, whether workmen or contractors, and the places of their employment, and must also make an annual return of similar purport. Moreover, he must, under a maximum penalty of ten pounds, keep a register of accidents, open to official inspection, and comply (an obligation, by the way, which rests upon a contractor also), within a month, with any notice from an Inspector that his factory or workshop is dangerous, and that out-work there must be discontinued. In the case of textile factories, and of any other class of factory or any workshop, if the Secretary of State shall so order, the occupier must exhibit, where it can be easily read, a statement of the rates that he pays for piece-work. But these particulars are not to be utilised by workmen for the purpose of disclosing trade secrets. |
a2ff1586-d2fa-4e3c-9be6-71e47e8afe7b | (3) Finally, an Inspector of Factories, if so authorised by the Secretary of State, may now prosecute, or conduct, or defend any proceedings under the Factory Acts, although he is not a counsel or a solicitor. Such are the leading provisions of this important piece of legislation, which both political Parties contributed to passing in its present shape. There is, however, still ample room, and, indeed, an urgent necessity, for an Act consolidating the Statutes in which the Factory Law is embedded. The new Act provides that a person charged with any offence under the Factories Acts may give evidence in his own behalf in the same manner as any other witness. 79 In connection with this subject the subjoined letter has been received from the London County Council. The register referred to has been kept in this parish for many years. London County Council, Spring Gardens, 17th December, 1895. |
7ec16fff-4b22-4849-9af0-8094f0a5cf50 | Sir, The Council has had under consideration the provisions of Section 27 of the Factory and Workshop Act 1895, which will come into operation on the 1st of January, 1896. In view of the fact that sub-section 3 of this section prohibits the use as a bakehouse of a place under ground unless it is so used at the commencement of the Act, it occurs to the Council that it would materially assist the London Sanitary Authorities in carrying out the section if a complete register were made by each authority of the bakehouses in occupation in its district on the 1st of January next. As new bakehouses were constructed they could be added to the register with a record of the time at which they came into use. This register would be very useful for reference if these should be needed to decide the date at which any premises were first used as bakehouses. In communicating this suggestion I am directed to express the Council's hope that your Board will give instructions for the preparation of such a register. |
95e98d8c-0ba9-4a5b-ae1e-e29b6572cb08 | I am Sir, Your obedient servant, H. De la Hooke, Clerk of the Council. Public Health (London) Act, 1891. The procedure of the Sanitary Department is almost entirely based upon the provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, which consolidated and amended the various Acts under which the Sanitation of London had been previously carried out. It contained also many valuable provisions which had hitherto only been extra Metropolitan and contained in the Public Health Act, 1875, 80 under which provincial Sanitary Authorities had effected great improvement in the Sanitation of their districts. A condensed synopsis of its provisions here will be useful for reference. Sec. I provides for house to house inspection by the Sanitary Authority, for which additional Inspectors with separate and smaller districts have been appointed within the last two years. Sec. 2.—A nuisance must be abated that is dangerous or likely to be dangerous to health. |
2f6de0a9-3fb7-4d40-a8d9-b57ff91f171c | Under the Metropolis Management and other Acts it was necessary to prove actual injury to health. Sec. 3 provides that information of a nuisance may be made to the Sanitary Authority, who shall serve intimation to parties responsible. Sec. 4.—The most essential difference between the procedure under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and the various other preceding Acts, is that formerly if a notice to abate a nuisance from the Sanitary Authority was not complied with, proceedings had to be commenced before a justice and evidence produced to satisfy him that a nuisance injurious to health existed, when, if satisfied that such nuisance existed and was injurious to health an order would be made for the abatement of the same. If this order was disregarded and the necessary works not executed it was necessary to commence fresh proceedings to recover penalties. The Sanitary Authority under this section itself considers the matter and makes orders, if necessary suing for penalties for non-compliance therewith. |
49fb609e-a05e-4260-9a73-fab67851f3cf | Absence of proper water-fittings is constituted a nuisance under section 4, and by section 5 a house may be closed for this reason. The Authority can specify works and insist upon the carrying out of the same under the latter section and now does so in a large proportion of cases. 81 Secs. 5, 6 and 7 contain provisions for orders, penalties and appeals, and enables the Sanitary Authority itself to carry out necesary works in default of responsible owner, &c. Sec. 11 provides for recovery of expenses and costs consequent thereon, and Sec. 13 enables the Authority to take action in the first instance in the higher Courts should it think fit. Under Sec. 14 an important proviso is introduced as a Sanitary Authority has power to take proceedings for the abatement of nuisances arising in the district of another authority should the nuisance injuriously affect the inhabitants of their own district. Sec. |
d6dead3e-b291-4054-aedf-2da68bafd949 | 15 renders liable to a penalty of £5 any person wilfully injuring or destroying any closet or sanitary apparatus, and will probably be useful in restraining persons from wantonly damaging fittings. Bye-laws are to be made by the Authority for the prevention of nuisances or keeping of animals so as to be a nuisance or injurious to health, and as to paving yards. The London County Council has made Bye-laws under the following sections which are now operative:— Sec. 16-1.—Removal of foecal matter. „ Removal and disposal of refuse. „ Cleansing and filling up of cesspools and privies. Sec. 39-1.—Water closets and soil pipes. ,, Ashpits. ,, Receptacles for dung, cesspools, &c. The Vestry has made Bye-laws under the undermentioned Sections of the Act :— Sec. 16—Prevention of nuisances. „ 39.—Keeping of water closets. |
66a92592-7b4b-45d2-a0de-ecbb28b10643 | ,, 50.—Cleansing of cisterns. „ 94.—Houses let in lodgings. 82 These are in active operation, and can be obtained at the office of the Sanitary Department by any ratepayer desiring a copy. There are other bye-laws which may be made by the Sanitary Authority, and which are now under consideration. They are:— Sec. 66. Removal to hospital of infected persons. This is now effected under the provisions of the various acts and regulations of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. Sec. 88. Bye-laws for the Mortuary. Regulations are in existence for the control of the Mortuary-keeper under which the Mortuary has hitherto been regulated. Sec. 95. Tents and vans. Bye-laws were made by the District Board some years since, which have been acted on until the present time. By Secs. |
e19a3b3d-934c-40d3-a76d-8172311d42d4 | 23 and 24 the control of smoke nuisances other than in private dwellings is placed under the Sanitary Authority instead of the Police, and has considerably increased the work of the Sanitary Department. Work-shops, Work-places and Factories are also placed under the supervision of the Sanitary Authority with certain duties as to giving notice to the Factory Inspector when children, young persons, or women are employed. It is also the duty of the Authority to see that proper and separate accommodation is provided for each sex. Sec. 47 provides that a medical officer of health or sanitary inspector shall examine all articles intended for the food of man if unsound, and shall seize the same and obtain an order from a justice for its destruction. The fine is raised to a maximum of £50 for every animal or parcel of food condemned, and should a person be so convicted twice in twelve months the Court may 83 order a notice of the facts to be affixed to his premises for a period not exceeding twenty-one days. |
0d39d271-97b0-4f16-b1d7-75fea32ce476 | Should a person find himself in the possession of unsound food he himself may give notice to the Vestry, who must remove the same as trade refuse and this procedure would seem to relieve him of the penalties mentioned. Sec. 48 contains the important provision that a newlyerected dwelling-house must not be occupied until a certificate has been obtained of the Sanitary Authority to the effect that a proper and sufficient supply of water exists. This section seems to be now more generally understood and imposes much work on the Sanitary Department. The following sections 49, 50, 51, 52 53 and 54, apply inter alia to water supply generally. Secs. 55, 56 and 57 re-enact, as elsewhere stated, the provisions of the Infectious Disease (Notification) Act. Secs. 59, 60 and 61 require the authority to make provisions for the disinfection of clothing, &c., which provision has been duly made by the Vestry. |
75e2381b-8943-4d27-9f4e-8116e516229d | The subsequent sections provide that infectious refuse shall not be treated so as to be dangerous to the public health, and prescribe penalties on persons letting houses or apartments in which infectious disease has occurred without having the same properly disinfected and obtaining a certificate thereof, which certificate is given to applicants free of charge on application to the Sanitary Department. Other important provisions for the prevention of the spread of infectious disease follow in subsequent sections; but they have long been in operation in this parish. In fact, it may be said generally that the methods of Sanitary procedure which may have gradually evolved in this parish during the last twenty years, have been adopted by the framers of the Act as its basis. Provision is made for Mortuaries and post-mortem examinations; such has existed in Battersea for many years. |
52125e09-d9e3-419e-9803-800c307808b2 | The Mortuary accommodation is however becoming somewhat inadequate for the needs of this ever increasing parish and it is 84 proposed to partially rebuild and enlarge the Mortuary, so as to render it, what it was for many years, a model of what such a building should be. Originally said to be the best arranged Mortuary in London, other parishes in a commendable spirit of emulation have improved upon it until we are at the present time somewhat short of the standard of excellence. The plans of the Surveyor when carried out will provide a building far in advance of the majority of Metropolitan Mortuaries. Customs and Inland Revenue Acts, 1891 This Act, which is simply an extension of the provisions of the Customs and Inland Revenue Act, 1890, exempting houses structurally fitted in the opinion of the Medical Officer of Health for occupation as separate tenements at an annual rental not exceeding £10 from the liability to house duty. The 1891 Act raises the amount to £40 annual rental. |
4380b226-c2d9-488c-ae20-8facbf04f89d | These Acts have added much to the duties of the Medical Officer, as personal inspection is imperative and certain forms of certificate have to be sent by him to the Surveyor of Taxes. Many hundreds of tenements have been inspected and certified since the Act came into force in January, 1891, and many flats are now being built and converted in the parish in order to obtain exemption or abatement of the house duty. The numbers inspected yearly from 1890 in which two hundred and forty-three were inspected and after the execution of necessary works, re-inspected and certified were for 1891, one hundred and nineteen, for 1892, one hundred and sixty-five; for 1893, two hundred and one and for 1894 and 1895, each ninety-one; a total of nine hundred and ten tenements. Table XIV. sets out the forms of sickness and deaths while under treatment of the Parish poor under care of the District Medical Officers during 1895. |
74920ac3-b428-45e3-a886-300ceb566f3a | It will be observed that the total number of cases treated was four thousand, six hundred and nineteen, out of which number eighty-nine died, under two per cent. Of course, many of the more severe cases went to the Union Infirmary before death. At all events the death-rate is extremely low. 85 TABLE XIV. ZYMOTIC OR EPIDEMIC DISEASES. Grand Totals of Cases and Deaths from all Diseases. Battersea. Poor Law Medical Districts. Small-Pox. Measles. Scarlatina. Diphtheria. Whooping Cough. Enteric & other Fevers. Erysipelas. Puerperal Fever or Metria. Diarrhœa, Dysentery, or Cholera. Influenza. Other Zymotic Diseases. Total. Cases No. |
cca77492-ef66-4660-befd-e195e2d658e7 | 1 – 20 4 2 2 1 – – 21 102 1 153 No. 2 3 27 8 5 7 – 4 – 61 74 5 196 No. 3 – 10 8 1 2 – 4 2 26 59 1 91 Whole Parish 3 57 20 8 11 1 8 2 108 215 7 440 Deaths No. 1 – – – – – – – – – – – – No, 2 – 1 – –_ 1 – – – 1 3 – 6 No. 3 – – 2 – 1 – – – 2 – – 5 Whole Parish – 1 2 – 2 – – – 3 3 – 11 OTHER DISEASES. Battersea. Poor law Medical Districts. Diseases of the Tubercular Class. |
fb762503-8287-4f1c-b102-e6d22d5e5974 | Of Brain, Nerves, &c. Of Heart. Of Respiratory Organs. Of Digestive Organs. Of Kidneys. Premature Birth, Low Vitality, Malformation,&c Age. Violence. All other Diseases. Total. Cases No. 1 30 40 16 255 20 7 2 58 21 1054 1,503 1,656 No. 2 30 65 14 314 41 1 1 5 26 983 1,480 1,676 No. 3 24 19 8 155 36 6 3 92 19 834 1,196 1,287 Whole Parish 84 124 38 724 97 14 6 155 66 2871 4,179 4,619 Deaths No. 1 4 1 1 2 – – 2 – – – 10 10 No. |
a6528b87-2b5b-48f7-90ba-f4e7ecfacbaa | 2 6 6 – 12 2 1 1 1 – 1 29 35 No. 3 7 2 4 14 – – 3 7 – 1 39 44 Whole Parish 17 9 5 28 2 1 6 8 – 2 78 89 86 TABLE XV. Supplemental Return, 1895.] VACCINATION. Registration Sub-District. Number of Births returned in the Birth List Sheets—1895. Nos. of those births duly entered by the 31st January, 1895, in Cols 10, 11, and 13, of the Vaccination Register, (Birth List Sheets), viz:— No. of Births which on the 31st Jan. 1896, remained unentered in the Vaccination Register on account. Number of those Births remaining on 31st January neither duly entered in Vaccination Register (Col. |
400ed3e4-f82d-496d-9df6-f45af4026534 | 3, 4, 5, and 6 of this Return) nor–accounted in the Report Bk. Col. 10, successfully vaccinated. Col. Insusceptible of vaccination. Had small-pox. Col. 13, Dead unvaccinated. Postponement by Medical Certificate. Removed to Districts their vaccination officers of which have been apprised. Removed to places unknown. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) East Battersea 2444 1411 13 ... 249 ... 117 4 124 526 West Battersea 2839 1756 11 ... 274 ... 144 5 106 543 Totals 5283 3167 24 ... 528 ... 261 9 230 1,969 This return is annually made to the Guardians by the Vaccination Officer. |
0cc66711-3150-40c3-9ffb-39f9894fe2d8 | The headings to the several columns explain themselves. 87 Summary ofSanitary Operations during 1895 The great amount of work done by the Sanitary staff is shewn in Table XVI. The work done was of a very thorough character and reflects great credit on the Chief and District Sanitary Inspectors. The house to house inspections, the means by which most sanitary defects are detected, were up to the average number and would if other duties did not make more urgent calls upon the staff, enable them to inspect every house in the parish during the year, a result which has been aimed at for some years. The great number of complaints received from the public, intimations of the existence of infectious disease, with removal to hospital in many cases and inspection and disinfection in all, together with the more systematic testing and re-organisation of defective drains and other urgent matters, render the inspectors unable to give more than a comparatively small portion of their time to this important work. |
892a3cab-0c7f-4653-b552-ea0e34f50794 | Some premises require and obtain several inspections during the year from the constantly recurring defects found therein. It will be seen that the total number of houses inspected is greater than in former years, the difference being that such inspections formerly were in the majority of cases from house to house, when of course a much larger number can be inspected than when from the prevalence of infectious disease or other causes each sanitary inspector has to traverse the whole area of his district daily. Inspections under the Factory and Workshops Act also add much to the duties of the staff. 88 TABLE XVI. Summary of Sanitary Operations, 1895, in the whole Parish. |
2889e4a9-73d0-4bdc-86f2-3b6476cb11e7 | 1892 1893 1894 1895 Total Sanitary operations 38,779 54,577 53,791 55,806 Number of House Inspections 23,587 25,091 24,747 30,051 Bakehouses Inspections 215 296 313 460 Bakehouses Nuisances abated ... 18 19 49 Urinals—Inspections 251 260 318 483 Do. altered, repaired, or water laid on ... 120 119 31 Intimations Served, 54 & 55 Vic. cap. 76 (3) 3,691 4,420 4,289 4,256 Notices Served under Sec. 4 921 1,211 1,076 1,198 Notices Served under Sec. 62 and 65 1,588 2,572 1,605 1,709 Complaints Received and attended to . 4,089 3,253 3, |
25612b4b-5e97-41e6-af5b-d29556d8407b | 877 Number of Houses Disinfected 1,227 2,069 1,449 1,454 Houses Supplied with Disinfectants 3,026 5,275 3,175 3,616 Overcrowding Abated 34 38 56 33 Premises Cleansed and Repaired 189 280 328 138 Drains Tested By Smoke 700 1,491 1,272 1,331 , Water 178 491 794 997 Drains Cleansed and Repaired 1,107 1,564 1,106 1,205 Drains Relaid 220 917 742 742 Soil Pipes ventilated . . 135 796 Sink & Rain Water Pipes disconnected 1,360 562 1, |
44ef490a-120c-4302-a50b-6af338bc893c | 012 634 Water Closets Cleansed and Repaired 237 314 426 236 Cesspools Abolished 1 4 6 8 Mews and Stables Drained and Paved 86 30 11 8 Yards Drained and Paved 161 253 938 555 Accumulations of Manure Removed or proper receptacles provided 41 70 56 61 Dust Receptacles Provided 738 772 1,221 688 Dust Complaints forwarded to the Surveyor . 271 214 377 Leaky House-roofs and Gutters Repaired 185 84 240 134 Houses Supplied with Water 151 130 93 252 Water Closets Supplied with Water, or supply disconnected from drinking water cistern 860 731 1,113 1,054 Cisterns Covered, |
da5d81e7-9f63-4b28-ae7a-1700385e80d3 | Cleansed and Repaired 409 469 624 816 Keeping of Animals in unfit state 5 16 11 16 Smoke Nuisances dealt with 10 26 21 11 Certificates of Disinfection Granted 1,044 1,659 1,551 1,538 Water Supply Certificate Granted (Sec. 48) 16 118 141 282 Proceedings Ordered by Vestry and Sanitary Committee 444 1,211 1,100 1,243 Summonses Issued 14 73 52 63 Magisterial Orders Obtained and Enforced 14 70 42 59 Sanitary Conveniences provided to Factories and Workshops, Sec. 38 4 8 19 ... Underground sleeping rooms disused ... ... ... 12 Gipsy vans inspected ... ... ... 64 PARTICULARS OF SUMMONSES ISSUED. Summonses. Magisterial Orders obtained. |
483bf626-aef7-4ab1-9364-4ae05b8815e3 | Under Sale of Food and Drugs Act 33 † 31 Under P.H.(L)A . Non-compliance with notices 18 *16 Contravention of Bye.laws, &c. 12 12 63 59 † Two cases were withdrawn, summonses issued and convictions being obtained against the proprietors of the other thirty-one. * Two cases dismissed, Magistrate deciding that the drain was a sewer, 89 It will be observed by reference to Table XVI, that 55,806 Sanitary operations were carried out during 1895, largest number yet returned. The numbers for the years 1892, 1893 and 1894 are also given as a means of comparison, the Sanitary Staff having been augmented in the earlier of these years. The number of house inspections during 1895 was the largest yet recorded, thirty thousand and fifty-one. |
93e2f26e-96a2-4fd8-9a5f-64c276888e98 | Although so many houses have been inspected, many of them several times during the year, the great and most important work of all, house to house inspection has not been universal in the parish; the ideal towards which we should aim, being the inspection of every house each year. I have reason to anticipate that this matter will receive the earnest attention of all concerned and steps be taken to carry it out. There were four thousand two hundred and fifty-six intimations served under Sec. 3, Public Health (London) Act, 1891. One thousand one hundred and ninety eight of these cases required statutory notices under Sec. 4, &c., by order of the Sanitary Committee and the Vestry, in addition to which one thousand seven hundred and nine notices were served under Secs. 62 and 65. |
7481ef37-1566-4227-a336-e83bcfea1944 | In the large number of one thousand two hundred and forty-three cases proceedings were ordered, sixtythree summonses were issued, the other orders having been complied with and Magisterial orders were obtained and enforced in fifty-nine instances. Three thousand eight hundred and seventy seven complaints were received during 1895 and attended to. One thousand four hundred and fifty-four houses were disinfected for sanitary reasons, one thousand five hundred and thirty-eight certificates of disinfection issued and disinfectants were distributed free of charge in three thousand six hundred and sixteen instances. Overcrowding was abated in thirty-three instances, but, this is not at all a characteristic of this parish compared with those of central London. One hundred and thirty-eight premises were 90 cleansed or repaired. Drains were tested by smoke in one thousand three hundred and thirty-one cases, the majority being found defective. Nine hundred and ninety-seven new or reconstructed drains were subjected to the hydraulic test and found sound. |
ceb7f9b6-fe0d-4b03-8249-c6eaa3681be5 | The large number of twelve hundred and five drains were cleansed and repaired. The water supply apparatus to w.c.'s were newly provided or repaired in one thousand and fifty-four instances; eight hundred cisterns were cleansed or repaired. Two hundred and eighty-two certificates of water supply to new houses were issued. A prominent feature in the work of the Sanitary department is the largely increased number of special inspections made by the Chief Sanitary Inspector and the District Sanitary Inspectors the results of which are reported to the Sanitary Committee at the next subsequent meeting. In order to facilitate reference to the minutes if necessary the dates upon which such reports have been made during the year 1895 are appended. On January 15th it was reported that the Raywood Street Board School had been entirely redrained and new w.c. |
548646a3-927e-4c34-a02a-19cb18c55f8f | 's &c., constructed upon plans approved by the Sanitary Committee, the old drains and sanitary arrangements having been found by the Chief Sanitary Inspector upon examination and testing to be in very defective condition; during the execution of the new works an old brick culvert 13 feet long and 3 feet 6 inches in diameter was discovered half filled with fcecal matter, this was emptied and carted away and the culvert broken up, the same having been found to have no connection with any other building or sewer. Hudson's Wharf, Wandsworth Common goods yard, depositing of house refuse for a longer period than 24 hours, contrary to clause 8, L.C.C. bye-laws under Sec. |
a22dc44c-271e-4f57-a42f-d9555249f4b5 | 16, Public Health (London) Act, also sorting and sifting of house refuse was found to be carried on, on the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 11th, of January contrary to order of Court of Summary Jurisdiction 91 which had been previously obtained by the Vestry; the Committee ordered this to be referred to the Solicitor and the nuisance was abated upon a cautionary letter. Hillier's yard. Refuse deposited by Lambeth Vestry from roads &c., in their parish, the refuse remaining in some instances for a longer period than 24 hours. The refuse after being mixed with stable manure and other litter and water is then consigned to the country by train from the South Western Goods Yard, Nine Elms. Hudson's Case. Nuisance arising from an open soil pipe head in Kersley Street. |
e085e259-6d61-4ed5-b536-21db8e24dffe | In this case the water closet was untrapped and discharged into an open rain water head the length of soil pipe being about 10 feet and trapped at the foot near the ground floor windows. The Medical Officer of Health had previously reported to the Sanitary Committee that in his opinion the nuisance constituted a danger to health. As far back as the 4th September, 1894, considerable correspondence in respect to this nuisance passed between the Agent of the property and the Vestry, and every opportunity was given to the owner to abate the nuisance. Subsequently proceedings were instituted, the wife of the occupier of the house stating that they had been unable to use the w.c. on account of bad smells experienced in the ground floor back room, when used, and that she had complained to the landlord who took no notice, except to send and pour disinfectants down the pipe, and further that the children had suffered from throat disease which her medical man attributed to bad sanitary arrangements. |
1dc4999b-d983-46b6-bb67-053224aac810 | Her delicate state of health rendered her unable to attend the Police Court at the hearing of the case, and her husband was, therefore, subpœnaed, but his evidence did not assist the Vestry or bear out in the least his wife's statement. 92 Mr. Hudson and his Surveyor stated that they had made certain tests with a view to ascertaining if any trace of Sulphuretted Hydrogen or Carbonic Acid gases were present, but could find none. It could not be expected that any of these gases would be present in the pipe, having regard to the fact that it is trapped at the foot, and that clean water only passed down the pipe for some time previous. The Magistrate in dismissing the case was probably influenced by the fact that the w.c. was not in actual use, this, however, was owing to its defective condition, and further, at any time this unsanitary arrangement may prove a source of injury to health. February 5th. |
fccdfd4f-3b8f-4a80-b3f1-43e348d34421 | There was presented at this date a return of the Annual inspection of all the public-house urinals in the parish, and in some 50 cases notices were served to supply proper water supply, to remedy defective apparatus, and paving &c., and to cleanse and limewhite urinals. In several cases the Committee deemed it inadvisable to require the proprietors to provide urinals to their houses, on account of the latter being in positions where they would become a nuisance, or in respect of which the Justices had previously informed the representatives of the Vestry, that having visited the premises in question they were of opinion that urinal accommodation was not essential. In the case of the Northcote Hotel a new urinal has been constructed in an altered position, but in the vicinity of this house there is a great need of Public Urinal Accommodation, the yard of the Northcote Hotel being constantly rendered very offensive owing to so many of the general public making use of the place which is provided only for persons using the public-house. |
d2a176ce-8cf4-4574-9407-3eb1aab3bc75 | 93 It was further reported that District Sanitary Inspector Marrable had seized three-quarters of a hundred-weight of walnuts on Saturday night the 26th January, and conveyed them to the South Western Police Court, where they were condemned and afterwards destroyed. The owner gave the name of James Richardson, 4, Cherwell Street. Subsequent inquiries, however, failed to discover the owner, and the Sanitary Committee decided that no further action should be taken in the matter. The Chief Sanitary Inspector reported to the Committee that Nos. 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, Woodgate Street (the two latter being empty), but Nos. 29 to 32 were occupied and in a very dirty and dilapidated condition. In the fronts of the houses Nos. |
068c39a4-b827-49b2-8e5c-466f5d788154 | 29, 30, 32, the parapet walls had been pulled down, also portions of the roof on account of dangerous condition, and upon inspection he found the walls and ceilings extremely wet, the stack pipes and guttering defective, the yards unpaved, cisterns supplying directly the drinking water and water-closets, and the treads of the stairs were so worn and the ballusters destroyed so that their condition was dangerous to life and limb in passing up or down stairs. A notice was served by order of the Sanitary Committee with a view to ordering the same to be closed as unfit for human habitation. The Railway Company having taken the whole of the houses in question, they have since been demolished. Also with reference to Nos. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, Belfour Street, which were in a seriously dirty and dilapidated condition, the wash-houses especially being dangerous. |
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