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The precept for the present year amounts to £8,698 17s. 5d.
being at the rate of 6¼d. in the £.
The extravagant expenditure of the London School Board still continues
: it increased from 208 per cent. in 1877 to 225 per cent. in
1878, and in the present year to 270 per cent. It was understood
when the Bill was passed in the House of Commons that the rate
should never exceed 3d. in the £: it is now more than double that
sum.
Artizans and Labourers' Dwellings Act, 1868.
The works required by the Board to certain houses in Shelton
Street, mentioned in its Report for 1878-9, have been carried out,
except where the premises are intended to be rebuilt by the owners,
which are shut up.
In the last Session of Parliament, an Act to amend the above-mentioned
Statute was passed, containing (inter alia) a power enabling
owners, who might by the Local Authorities be ordered to rebuild their
premises, to require such authority to purchase their interests, and
cast the expense of rebuilding on the Vestry or District Board in
whose area the premises are situate, the funds for such purpose to be
raised by rate within such area; with power to the Metropolitan
Board of Works on failure by the Local Authority, to proceed to carry
out the same. Seeing that the cost of the street improvements in
the Metropolis and of the new dwellings for the working classes,
under the Artizans' Dwellings Improvement Act, 1875, are borne by
a rate imposed on the entire Metropolitan area, it is difficult to
understand the principle of this legislation—both Acts being for the
improvement of the dwellings of the working classes—and why,
because the improvements are to be carried out by two different
authorities, the burden of the same should not be borne by the
entire Metropolitan area.