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owner; and in many of these reports the late Vestry were advised to undertake the duty. As
the law now stands, the occupier of any premises may "require" the sanitary authority to remove
any trade refuse on payment (Public Health Act, 1891, section 33); but the sanitary authority
need only, "if they think fit," collect and remove "manure and other refuse matter from any
stables . . . the occupiers of which signify their consent in writing to such removal"—a consent
which may be withdrawn or revoked after one month's previous notice (section 36). The
owner of such refuse cannot "require" the sanitary authority to remove it, nor is he under any
obligation to pay for the removal; although, doubtless, many occupiers of stables would willingly
do so, and be quit of a troublesome responsibility, and of liability to fine for non-compliance with
the regulations. The law obviously requires amendment.
FLOODING OF BASEMENTS OF HOUSES.
In March, 1904, I reported the completion of the Lots Road Pumping Station—a costly
and even splendid piece of work, carried out by the County Council at the'riverside at Chelsea;
designed for the prevention of flooding of basements of houses, on occasion of heavy rainfall in the
district of North Kensington, etc., drained by the Counter's-creek sewer and its affluents. I
remarked that the County Council did not appear to be sanguine as to the sufficiency of the new
works, judging from a report by their Main Drainage Committee (4th February, 1904), on further
"proposed relief works," as follows:—
"The floodings in North Kensington have been very severe, the reason being that there
is a storm overflow from the middle level Bewer to the Counter's-creek sewer, but instead
of this storm water being carried by a special sewer, it reaches the Counter's-creek sewer
by going through a number of local sewers. All the floodings occur on each side of these local
sewers, and as it is obvious that these latter become surcharged very quickly, a new 6torm
water sewer ought to be constructed from the middle level sewer near Netting Hill to the
Counter's-creek sewer. The total cost of constructing such a sewer is estimated at £20,000."
The report was adopted.
In August, I had to report that a considerable number of houses had been flooded, on
July 25th, in streets at North Kensington; to wit, South Row (Kensal District), St. Mark's Road,
St. George's Road, Silchester Road, Talbot Grove, Clarendon Road, Bomore Road, Lancaster
Road, Cornwall Road, Ladbroke Grove, Basing Road, Colville Road, and Elgin Crescent. The
only street in the southern division of the borough known to have been affected on the day in
question, was Russell Road. There had been two separate storms of no very great intensity, and
of no long duration; the first between 7 and 8 p.m., at the time of low water, when the contents of
the Counter's-creek sewer would flow by gravitation into the Thames, and the second and more
severe one, between 10 and 11 p.m., when the storm water and sewage had to be pumped into the
river. Flooding of houses occurred in connection with both storms in some streets; but only on
the occurrence of one storm in other streets. The chief engineer of the London County Council
informed me that "the first engine on the Counter's-creek sewer at Lots Road Station was
started at 10.20 p.m., the second at 10.45, and a third at 10.50." He added that "the greatest
height of water on invert at the pumping station was 9 ft. 6 in., at 11 p.m., which represents the
sewer flowing just full. The first engine was stopped at 12.50 a.m., the second at 2.20 a.m., and
the third at 4 a.m., on the 26th July." The engineer, when I wrote to him for information, on the
30th July, "was not aware that there had been any floodings" in Kensington, and requested to be
informed of the streets that suffered, as he was "anxious to see whether this flooding will be
relieved by the proposed storm-water sewer between the Middle Level and Counter's-creek."
When sending the desired information, I inquired "whether these floodings would be prevented by the
proposed new sewer ?" to which he replied that he "certainly anticipated" that relief would be
afforded to the neighbourhood of the streets affected; and as "no complaints" had been received
from either Hammersmith or Fulham "it would appear that pumping at Lots Road had relieved
those districts."
With respect to the "Proposed Relief Works," and having regard to the apparent insufficiency
—not to say inefficiency—of the Lots Road Pumping Station to preserve the North Kensington
Districts from the floodings, so dangerous to health, so disastrous to property, and the cause of grievous
inconvenience to the residents in many streets, I expressed the hope, when reporting on the subject
in August, that there would be no long delay in constructing the sewer, and suggested the
desirability of an inquiry being made, and that the County Council be urged to give
immediate effect to the approved recommendation of their Main Drainage Committee. And
in November I had the satisfaction of reporting that the Council had accepted a tender
"for the construction of a relief sewer from Cornwall Road, Notting Hill, to Upper Addison