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69
ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.
Water supply.—The notices of discontinuance of supply received from the Metropolitan
Water Board have decreased in number during the last two years, falling from 84 in 1909 to 74
in 1910 and 41 last year. The cases in which the supply was cut off for non-payment of the
water rates numbered 5 in 1909, 10 in 1910, and 3 last year. The other causes of discontinuance
were—
Empty Premises 30 (59). Defective Fittings 7 (6). Mistaken Order 1.
Of the 11 occupied houses, one was vacated after discontinuance of the supply, and the
supply restored, after service of notices, to the remainder, two summonses being issued.
The practice of cutting off the water supply for non-payment of rates is much to be
deprecated. The Water Board is afforded by law the alternatives of cutting off the supply or
suing for the water rate. Moreover, by the Act of 1887 (Water Companies (Regulation of
Powers) Act) the cutting off for arrears is prohibited (Sec. 4) in the case of a house of which the
owner and not the occupier is responsible for the payment of the water rate. That provision
should prevent discontinuance of supply to tenement houses. Unfortunately it does not. From
inquiries made by the Medical Officer of Health of Wandsworth last year it appears that in
20 metropolitan cities and boroughs, where the reasons for cutting off the supply were noted,
553 notices of discontinuance were received, 262 (47 per cent.) being for arrears of water rate.
The Water Companies during their last years of work resorted largely to civil process for
recovery of the rates, and it is much to be desired that the Board should do the same.
Mortuaries.—Last year 282 bodies were received at the Mortuaries, 6 more than in the
previous year. (See below)
Paddington Kensal
Green. Road.
Number of bodies deposited 277 (263) 5 (13)
Coroners' cases 188 (191) 5 (13)
Awaiting burial:—
Infectious 2 (3) —
Non-infectious 87 (60) —
P.M. examinations made 76 (92) 4 (13)
The figures in parentheses are those for 1910.
A re-arrangement of the Coroners' Districts has been agreed to, whereby the Borough
will be in one District only, instead of two as at present. The change will enable all bodies
of persons awaiting inquest to be taken to the Paddington Green Mortuary, and that in
Kensal Road will then be no longer required for that purpose.
There was a considerable increase in the use of the Mortuary Chapel, 87 bodies being
deposited pending burial, as compared with 60 in the previous year. Bodies of non-residents
are received on payment of a small fee, those of residents, gratis.
schools.— In consequence of the new Regulations—"Infectious Diseases: Rules and
Regulations"—issued by the Education Committee of the County Council in August, 1910, the
work of the Department with reference to all forms of infectious disease in connection with
schools was re-modelled at the commencement of last year. Notices are now left with all
parents of children attending school who reside in a house where an infectious disease exists,
directing such children to be kept at home for the period prescribed by the Regulations
already mentioned. By that method " re-admission " notices to the teachers are not required,
as the original " exclusion " notices sent to them state when the children are to be re-admitted.
Last year 451 notices were issued after notified diseases (789 in 1910) and 2,595 after nonnotified
(1,893 in 1910). The school distribution of cases of infectious disease is given in
Table 43, that table including cases in children residing outside the Borough, but attending—
or having " contacts " attending—schools in the Borough.