View report page

44
and all the Urban and Rural Sanitary Authorities whose
districts are wholly or partially situated within the watersheds
of those Rivers, and all the Water Companies and Public
Authorities who have waterworks in the same area to give them
any information bearing on the subject which they might be in
a position to afford. The Commissioners sat on 45 days, 32
of which were occupied in hearing oral evidence. There were
92 witnesses examined, most of whom were put forward by the
Metropolitan Water Companies or the County Councils of
London and the counties of Hertford, Middlesex, Surrey, Essex,
and Buckingham, and by other public bodies in London and
the neighbourhood. Some of the evidence produced was of
such a character that it was found necessary to employ an
Assistant Commissioner to visit the localities under enquiry,
and to ascertain upon the spot the precise facts. For this
purpose, with the sanction of the Treasury, Mr. R. E. Middleton,
M. Inst. C.E., was appointed.
The areas affected by the enquiry may be defined as
extending over "Greater London" as that name is used in the
General Register Office, where it is applied to the area included
within the Metropolitan and City Police districts. Such area
includes all parishes wholly comprised within a circle of 15
miles radius from Charing Cross, and all other parishes of
which any part is included within a circle of 12 miles radius
from the same centre. Greater London thus not only includes
the whole of the Administrative County of London, but extends
widely beyond it, and contains in all an area of 701 square
miles. In the evidence given before the Commission the area
within Greater London and outside the County of London was
called the "Outer Ring," and it is within this area that at
present the most rapid increase of population appears to be
taking place. The areas supplied form together a district
which is usually spoken of as "Water London," comprising
about 622 square miles. The areas are not co-extensive with
any districts of which the populations are given by the
Registrar-General in the census returns, and no exact statement