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The correspondence and the report of the Medical Officer of Health
were referred to the Public Health Committee with the following result.
Report submitted to and approved by the Council.
Rolls Estate and Borough of Southwark.
Your Committee have to report that they have again had under
their consideration the reference back to them from the Council of
the correspondence which has passed between the Council and
Mr. R. J. Dickins, the agent to Lord Llangattock, with regard
to the Rolls Estate and the Borough.
The Committee felt that the best course to pursue was to
arrange an interview with Mr. Dickins, and to discuss the whole
matter with him.
A conference accordingly took place on January 8th, 1907,
between Mr. R. J. Dickins, who was accompanied by Mr. Raymond
Barker, legal adviser to the Estate, and a Sub-Committee appointed
to represent the Council.
It will perhaps be remembered that Mr. Dickins in his communication
to the Council on the 28th November, stated that
"possibly the present Council is not aware of the manner in which
the Public Health Acts have been administered in this Borough." At
the outset of the meeting Mr. Dickins withdrew the word "present,"
to which as the Council are aware great exception had been taken.
Mr. Dickins in his letter also referred to a "system of persecution,"
by the Medical Officer of Health, but after some discussion,
he also agreed to withdraw these words and to substitute " line of
action."
Mr. Raymond Barker, on behalf of Mr. Dickins, informed your
Committee that the two main questions at issue were as follows,
viz :—
(1) Are drastic requirements to be made upon owners to remedy
technical defects in drains while sewers, for the repair or
reconstruction of which the authorities are liable, are
allowed to remain grossly defective ?
(2) Are the authorities and private owners to act together in a
spirit of amity and reasonableness as suggested in my letter