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58
Certificates under the Customs and Inland Revenue Acts. 0
By the Revenue Act of 1903, the provisions of the Customs
and Inland Revenue Acts of 1890 and 1891, reducing the rate of
inhabited house duty on houses built or adapted by additions,
for the purpose of providing separate dwellings, on the production
of a certificate from the Medical Officer of Health "that the
house is so constructed as to afford suitable accommodation for
each of the families or persons inhabiting it, and that due provision
is made for their sanitary requirements," were extended
to flats of an annual value not exceeding ₤60.
Applications were made for certificates in respect of 605
dwellings, of which 455 were granted, 66 were given after certain
specified works had been completed, and 84 were refused.
WATER SUPPLY.
Samples of the water supplied by the West Middlesex and
Chelsea Water Companies were taken from time to time.
Samples taken from the mains of the two Companies in July
were pronounced by the Analyst to show a much higher
proportion of organic matter than an efficiently filtered Thames
derived water should contain. With respect to a sample of
water taken from the Chelsea Company's main on November
13th, the Analyst reported that "it contains far more organic
matter in solution than should be present in any water intended
for drinking purposes, the free and albuminoid Ammonia being
both about three times above what may be considered a
reasonable figure for efficiently filtered London water and
the other figures indicative of organic matter are similarly
in excess. In view of the fact that the water is derived from
a sewage-polluted source it must be regarded as dangerous and
unfit for drinking purposes." The attention of the Company
was at once called to this report and notices were issued, as was
also done in July, recommending consumers to boil the water.
Samples taken subsequently from the mains on November
21st, 24th, and 27th were pronounced by the Analyst to showthat
a decided improvement had taken place in the condition
of the water, though the organic impurity was still rather
high, and the samples taken in December were pronounced
to be of satisfactory quality. The reports of the Analyst