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89
There is still room for further investigation to be made by anyone
who has the time, as there appear to be the letter books and other
volumes from which information might be gleaned as to how the Metropolitan
Commissioners carried on their duties.
So far as the records in charge of the Poplar District since 1856
(applications,plans—some7,5ooin number and bound in 49 volumes—
and minutes) are concerned, the cry of Sewer or Drain has become
lately so fierce among landlords who wish to throw the onus of their
bad combined drainage upon the local authority that a large amount
of time is spent by your officials almost every day in examining the
records, and the Committee will see that it is of the utmost urgency
that the plan should be sought for immediately as the responsibility
of the danger from defective combined drainage falls upon the Board
until the plans and minutes are found. I am happy to state that up
to the present the application, plan and minute in nearly every instance
have been found, and I trust that the outstanding ones will be found
in the 14 volumes of the petitions relating to the Tower Hamlets, in
charge of the London County Council. Mr. Green tells me that
about 800 of the petitions relate to the Poplar District.
This being a "special report," a copy will be sent to the London
County Council, and it is hoped that that body will afford better
accommodation to officials when they are engaged in searching their
records in order to save the ratepayers' money.
I am, Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
FREDK. WM. ALEXANDER,
Medical Officer of Health, Poplar and Bromley.
15th October, 1895.
The following is a postscript to a report upon the drainage of
certain houses which I brought before the Board on 9th November :—
"P.S.—Since writing the above report 1 have again been to the