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58
ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.
House Drainage.—During the year 572 drains were reported by the Inspectors as having
been re-constructed, tested with water, and found sound, while 101 old drains similarly successfully
stood test. Most of the latter had been re-constructed under the supervision of the Department,
which now has records of re-constructed drains dating from the close of 1889.

The re-construction of the various systems, except that of Nos. 55-67, Artesian Road,
carried out by the owners as two new combined drains, was referred to the "Works Committee.
Orders were made by the Council under Section 74 of the Metropolitan Management Act,
1855, for new combined drains at—
No. 13, Blomfield Road, and Studio in rear. Nos. la, 2a, and 3a, Newlan Row, Oxford Mews.
Nos. 130 and 132, Herries Street. Nos. 203 and 205, Harrow Road.
Nos. 34 and 36, Warrington Crescent.
A Special Report dealing with a portion of the system of combined drains on the Queen's Park
Estate was presented to the Council during the autumn of the year.
Bye-laws re Drainage.—The Bye-laws made by the London County Council under Section
202 of the Metropolitan Management Act, 1855, draft of which was submitted to the Vestry as
early as January, 1897, were sanctioned by the Local Government Board on May 26th of last year,
and came into force in the following June. The Bye-laws under the "Metropolis Management
Acts Amendment (Bye-laws) Act, 1899" have not yet received the sanction of the Local
Government Board.
Appeal to the London County Council.—For the first time in seven years an appeal was
lodged last year with the County Council under Sections 211 and 212 of the Metropolis Management
Act, 1855, against an order made by the Sanitary Authority of the Borough respecting drainage
works. The appeal was taken against a notice requiring the soil-pipe at No. 68, Westbourne Terrace
to be re-constructed in accordance with the Bye-law No. 4 made pursuant to Section 39 (1) of the
Public Health (London) Act, 1891. The builder who had the work in hand fixed a new soil-pipe
inside the house with several unnecessary bends. The Bye-law (since repealed) prescribed that
"whenever practicable" the soil-pipe should be outside the house. It was quite practicable to so
fix it, and the decision rested on the question of the local authority being in a position to waive
a bye-law when no provision for such discretionary power has been included in the bye-law.
The Borough Council was represented by the Medical Officer of Health who referred the Appeal
Committee to the decision given in Yabhicom v. King, decided in the Queen's Bench Division on
January 13th, 1889 (63 J. P. 149). The Solicitor to the County Council advised that there was
no discretionary power to waive the provision of the bye-law, and the Committee decided in favour
of the Borough Council. The soil-pipe was subsequently altered in accordance with the requirements
of- the bye-law.
Common Lodging Houses.—There are 9 houses registered for this purpose within the
Borough. The registration and inspection of such houses rests with the London County Council,
but occasional visits are paid by the Inspectors of the Public Health Department. Frequent calls
to inquire as to sickness (especially small-pox) were made during last winter. Up to the end of
1901 no case of small-pox was reported among the inhabitants of these houses.