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"Should the Board decide to re-open after this warning I shall
feel it my duty to recommend the Vestry to take the usual steps to
close the School so soon as the drainage works are commenced.
"I am, dear Sir,
"&c., &c."
A reply to this letter was received intimating that closure of the
School would, in the opinion of the Board, be unnecessary, as
provision would be made in the contract with the builder, to whom
the work was to be intrusted, which would obviate any of the evil
effects I feared. Subsequently the contract was submitted, and in
it the contractor was bound down to do the work in sections, with
the understanding that the portion of the School actually under
repair was to be closed, and the playground parted off by a high
fence; moreover the contractor was strictly tied down not to
interfere with any soil drain except during the period between
Friday afternoon (after School hours) and the re-opening of the
School on the following Monday morning.
Under these conditions the Sanitary Committee were of opinion
that the work might be allowed to be commenced, and on August
the 26th the School re-opened, but the repairs were not started till
early in September, when the School was in full swing. The
operations were closely watched by Mr. Foot, who soon found
that the promise not to interfere with soil drains could not be kept,
as the actual course of these drains was quite unknown, and the
workmen accidently broke into them in several places. On
September the 11th notice to close the School was served upon the
Managers and upon the School Board. These notices were
obeyed under protest and the Schools were kept closed until
October 29th, when the work was so far forward that I was of
opinion that the children might re-assemble without danger.
The work has been thoroughly carried out under Mr. Foot's
supervision and the result is most satisfactory.
SANITARY WORK.
Table VI. gives details of the work done in the Sanitary Department.
The appointment of two additional Sanitary Inspectors has