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48
matter is one involving as it does the expenditure of many
millions of the public money as well as the health and lives of
the community, and in which every public man should take a
strong personal interest, a condensed account of the present
position of the question is again given.
This most important subject has been under consideration
by a Royal Commission which sat during 1892 and 1893. The
Chairman was Lord Balfour of Burleigh; Sir Archibald Geikie,
Professor Dewar, Dr. Ogle, Mr. Mansergh, Mr. Hill, and Sir
George Bruce constituted the Committee, all men of eminence
and selected for their intimate knowledge of the subject. No
Commissioner was in any way connected with either of the
London Water Companies, and Mr. Mansergh is the Engineer
who is now bringing water to Birmingham from Wales, while
Mr. Hill is supplying Manchester from Thirlmere.
The witnesses examined include nearly one hundred of the
leading sanitarians and engineers, together with representatives
of the great public bodies of the Metropolis and elsewhere, the
Local Government Board, the London County Council, the
Corporation of London, and the various Water Companies and
others having interests in the Water Supply of the Metropolis.
Briefly reviewing the inquiry, the main question referred to
and considered by the Commission was whether the water of the
Thames and Lea Valleys was good, and whether enough of it
could be obtained for the London of the future without injury to
the interests of other districts in those watersheds. They find,
as the Companies always maintained, 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," and also that the Thames and Lea Valleys
may, without prejudice to the claims or material injury to the
interests of districts outside the area of Greater London, be made
to supply more than double the present population of the
Metropolis with 35 gallons per head daily.