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Every sum paid to a sanitary authority must be applied in defraying the expenses of the
sanitary authority incurred under' the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and so far as not
required for that purpose those incurred in respect of lighting, and so far as not required for
that purpose those incurred in respect of streets, and where the sanitary district comprises two or
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(a) infectious cases, and (b) other dead bodies." The medical officer of health of Whitechapel
expresses his regret that in future all bodies on which inquests will be held will be removed to the
Limehouse mortuary, and he fears that delay will result iu the removal of bodies from the numerous
common lodging-houses in Whitechapel.
Water Supply.

Referring to storage reservoirs the Water Examiner states—
The river deriving companies have during recent years largely increased the capacity of their
storage reservoirs, and are actively engaged in constructing or in making arrangements for the construction
of additional reservoirs. At present some of the companies which have large storage reservoirs
take water direct from the river or merely run it through some of their smaller reservoirs before
passing it into the filter beds. The benefit of thorough settlement in precipitating micro-organisms
as well as suspended matter has been clearly demonstrated, and so impressed was the Royal Commission,
presided over by Lord Llandaff, with this fact, that one of its recommendations was that it should
be made imperative on the companies to pass water drawn from the river into a storage reservoir
before letting it on to the filter beds. Excellent as the quality of the filtered water usually is there are
undoubtedly occasions when a better result would have been obtained by a longer settlement, and it
is hoped that the companies will keep in view the recommendations of the Royal Commission and so
arrange their system of treatment of the river water that no river water which has not been subject
to proper settlement shall be passed into the filters. The Grand Junction Company particularly is
working at a great disadvantage for want of proper storage capacity.
During the year full monthly examinations of the water have been made by Dr. Thorpe,
as formerly made by the late Sir Edward Frankland. There have also been made by Dr. Thorpe
tri-weekly examinations which were usually confined to the determination of the amounts of
" oxygen consumed " and " albuminoid ammonia."
Water fittings.
At the close of the year the eight metropolitan water companies made new regulations as to
water fittings in substitution for those made in 1872. The Council resolved to inform the Local
Government Board of its desire to be represented at the enquiry which would be held before
confirmation of the regulations. A conference was subsequently held in the County Hall between
the Council and the borough councils, and it was resolved to oppose the confirmation of the
regulations which were objectionable in many respects. The enquiry was subsequently held at
the Westminster Town Hall, and in view of the opposition of the various authorities the regulations
were withdrawn.
The London Equalisation of Rates Act, 1894.
The Equalisation of Rates Act provides that the London County Council shall in each vear
form a fund equal to a rate of sixpence1 in the pound on the rateable value of London. The contribution
from each parish to the fund is to be in proportion to its rateable value. The fund thus
formed is to be distributed among the sanitary districts in proportion to their population. Where
a sanitary district comprises two or more parishes, and the aggregate of the contributions from
such parishe's is less than the grant apportioned to the district, the difference shall be paid out
of the fund to the sanitary authority of the district, and no payment towards any equalisation
charge shall be required from any parish in the district.
Subject to the above, when the contribution from the parish is less than the grant due, the
difference shall be paid out of the fund to the sanitary authority of the district forming or comprising
the parish; and if it exceeds the grant due to the parish, the Council shall, for the special
purpose of meeting the excess, levy on the parish a county contribution as a separate item of the
county rate.
The capacity of
subsidence reservoirs belonging to the several companies and the monthly average of filtration are
shown in the following table—
Names of Companies.
Capacity of subsidence
reservoirs.
No. of days'
supply.
Monthly rate of filtration
per square foot per hour.
tean monthly
averages.
Maximum monthly
averages.
Chelsea
14.8
1.75
1.75
East London
28.8
.99
1.50
Grand Junction
2.9
1.22
1.45
Lambeth
4.9
2.03
2.20
New River
4.3
2.34
2.63
Southwark and Vauxhall
13.4
1.50
1.50
West Middlesex
18.7
1.27
1.50