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69
Several provincial authorities, notably West Ham, Croydon,
Carlisle, Leyton, Wood Green, Sheffield, &c., have been successful
in obtaining the powers which the metropolitan local authorities
ask for by this Bill.
[8 Edw. 7.] Metropolitan Sewers and Drains.
A Bill to Amend the Metropolis Management Acts with respect
to Sewers and Drains.
Be it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with
the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and
Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:—
1. In and for the purposes of the Metropolis Management
Acts, 1855 to 1899, and the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, or any
Act or Acts amending the same, the word "drain" shall be deemed
to include any sewer or drain, whether constructed before or after
the passing of this Act, with which two or more houses, buildings,
or premises are, at the date of the passing of this Act, or may at
any time thereafter be connected, or which is used or capable of
being or intended to be used for the conveyance of the drainage
of such houses, buildings, or premises directly or indirectly to any
sewer which has been approved as such by the Metropolitan
Commissioners of Sewers, the Metropolitan Board of Works, or the
London County Council, but shall not include any sewer so approved
as aforesaid.
2. This Act may be cited as the Metropolis Management
Amendment Act, 1908, and shall be construed as one with the
Metropolis Management Act, 1855, and the Acts amending the same
The Bill was blocked by a few London members, and never
reached a second reading. It will again be introduced this session,
but there is little hope that it will fare better than last year.
In Hampstead during 1908 many claims were made that combined
drains were "sewers" repairable by the ratepayers, but
all the claims were successfully resisted except three. In these
cases owing to the absence of proper plans the Council were
obliged to assume responsibility for the drains and repair them
as "sewers."