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(&) To add the following definition of " water-closet, " to the Regulations,
viz., the word " water-closet" in these Regulations shall include
any " sink used for receiving any solid or liquid excremental filth,"
and from Regulation No 20, line 2, to omit the words in parentheses,
be sanctioned, and the regulations be altered accordingly. This
addition, in itself, is desirable, but is not very pressingly called
for, as I believe that such sinks, not being actual water-closets, are
very rarely in use, except in hospitals; and in most, if not all the
hospitals in London, water is supplied by meter on the lowest scale
of charges, and there is thus no restriction on the use of water or the
size of flush used. I understand that the Water Companies contemplate
applying to the Board shortly to further amend and alter the
Regulations ; and, if such an application is made, the above suggestion
(b) might stand over until, the whole of the alterations of the
Regulations that may be found necessary have been decided on. (c)
and (d) not being, properly speaking, Water Regulations, should
not be sanctioned as such.
Walter M. Ducat.
Whitehall, 10th December, 1895.
DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE.
Combined Drainage.—A Bill before the House of Lords to amend the
definition of "drain" and "sewer" under the Public Health Act, 1875, was
withdrawn, and Lord Russell of Killowen stated that all the law of drainage
required consolidation and amendment.
A similar Bill before the House of Commons, supported by the London
County Council, also failed to become law.
Separate W.C. Accommodation m Schools.—The unsuitableness of "latrine"
or "trough" closets for schools has been established by the following case: —
Plans were submitted to the Battersea Vestry by the School Board for
London in respect of an extension of the Shillington Street Board School.
The plans provided fora dditional water-closets upon the " trough " system,
by means of stoneware latrines, which the Vestry refused to sanction, and
called upon the School Board for London to provide " separate " water-closet
basins with branch drains into suitable inspection chambers.
The London School Board appealed to the London County Council against
the order of the Vestry ; but the Council, having heard evidence on both sides,
on the 27th July, 1896, dismissed the appeal.
REFUSE REMOVAL.
In March, 1892, a new system of dust collection was adopted by the Vestry
and put in force. This system was devised after much time and thought had
been devoted to the subject, and was embodied in a contract that was most
carefully drawn, and frorn year to year improved in detail, the essential
clauses of which describe the system and method of control.
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