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PUBLIC SANITARY CONVENIENCES.
There are only 19 public urinals in the Parish—a very
inadequate provision, which, however, is supplemented by
about 170 urinals at public-houses to which the general public
have access: accommodation not of a satisfactory sort, in many
instances, but better than none at all, and much improved as
the result of proceedings taken by your Vestry in 1888 and
since. There are but three sets of public water-closets, and for
the male sex only, situated, respectively, at the rear of the
Vestry Hall, at the west end of Westbourne-grove, Nottinghill,
and in the Old Brompton-road, opposite the Bell and
Horns tavern. The Sanitary Authorities have ample power to
make provision of this sort; section 88 of the Metropolis
Management Act, 1855, enabling them to " provide and
maintain urinals, water-closets, and like conveniences, for both
sexes, in situations where they deem such accommodation to be
required." Your Vestry's efforts to comply with the law have
often been thwarted by local opposition. Suitable sites exist,
none better, perhaps, or where provision of the kind is more
needed, than in Kensington High-street, where, opposite the
Parish Church, an underground retiring place for both sexes
might be constructed without nuisance in any sense of the
word. Increased powers were conferred by the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, which, to facilitate the construction of
underground conveniences, vests the sub-soil of roadways in
the Sanitary Authority, who, moreover, have power to compensate
persons injured by the erection of these conveniences
near their houses, etc.