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8. Metropolitan Water Board (Charges) Bill.
This Bill was promoted by the Metropolitan Water Board
in pursuance of the requirement of the Metropolis Water Act,
1902, that the Board shall, within three years after the appointed
day, viz. : 24th June, 1904, introduce into Parliament a Bill
providing for uniform scales of charges, applicable throughout
their limits of supply.
The rates which the Water Board is now entitled to charge
for domestic purposes vary in the several water areas under its
control, from as high as 7½ per cent. to as low as 3 per cent. on
the annual value of houses, so that the consumers in certain
districts would reap a considerable advantage by the proposed
equalisation of the charge, whereas those in other districts
where the present rate is low would suffer by having their rates
materially increased. The Hammersmith Borough comes
within the latter category. Here the present rate of charge is
4 per cent. on houses of an annual value of not exceeding £200,
and 3 per cent. on houses above that value. In addition there
are certain extra charges for high service and closets
and baths. The Bill proposes to abolish these additional
charges, which will to some extent compensate for the increase
in the rate, but as, generally speaking, the proposed alteration
would cause a substantial increase in the amount of water rate
to be paid by the ratepayers of the Borough, the Council
presented a petition in opposition to the Bill, which is also being
opposed by other Councils whose districts are similarly affected.
The Bill was referred to a Joint Committee of the two
Houses of Parliament for consideration.
9. Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906.
A Bill was introduced in the Session of 1906 to consolidate
and amend the law with respect to compensation to workmen
for injuries sustained in the course of their employment.
The Bill duly passed and obtained the Royal Assent on the
21st December, 1906, under the title of the Workmen's
Compensation Act, 1906. Under this Act the liability of the
Council in respect to accidents to its employees is increased,
so as to include persons not hitherto entitled to compensation
whose employment (for the purposes of the Council's business)
is of a casual nature, and persons employed otherwise than by
way of manual labour (i.e., clerical staff, etc.) and whose
remuneration does not exceed £250 per annum. The Act
comes into operation on the 1st July, 1907, and the Council is
arranging to increase its insurance against liability for accident
to its employees under the Act.