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That the law as it at present stands is most inequitable cannot be
questioned, as several cases have occurred where the plans originally submitted
by the builders to the local authority showed separate drainage, but
it has been found that, instead of this being the case, two or more houses are
drained by a single drain which thus becomes a "sewer" within the meaning
of the Act, and repairable by the Vestry, so that the honest builder who laid
the drains of his houses in accordance with the plans he submitted has to
bear the cost of keeping his drains in repair, while his more unscrupulous
neighbour, who hoodwinked the local authority, now escapes scot free, and
has his property put in a sanitary condition at the expense of the ratepayers.
It must, however, be remembered that this state of things has arisen from the
neglect of the local authority to exercise a proper supervision, in accordance
with their duty, over the buildings that were being erected in the district.
If the Fulham District Board of Works and the Fulham Vestry in its
early days had employed a sufficient staff, in doing which they would spend a
comparatively trifling sum, the present ratepayers would have been saveJ an
expenditure of some thousands.
Supervision of New Property.
In a report made to the Vestry on the report of Dr. Young, Assistant
Medical Officer of Health, on the Sanitary Conditions and Administration
of the Parish of Fulham, I remarked—
The next matter dealt with by Dr. Young is the general structure
and conditions of the houses in Fulham, and this is perhaps the most
important feature in the report. Dr. Young says:—"A marked
feature which attracted attention in this district is the inferior character
of the building which has taken place in some parts. Houses which I
found had only been built within recent years were already becoming
defective, owing apparently to the inferior quality of material used in
their construction and to inferior workmanship," and he then gives
some typical examples. As to the absolute correctness of these
remarks there can be no question, as most of the members of the
Committee are well aware. In fact it may be said that a very large
proportion of the sanitary defects in Fulham are due to the original
faulty construction of the houses. And for this state of things it must
be borne in mind the sanitary authority in Fulham are in no way
responsible, as it is due to the way in which the Building Act has been
administered, formerly by the Metropolitan Board of Works and of
late years by the London County Council. I regret, too, to have to