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16
Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark.
Section II.—GENERAL.
The Need of Further Public Lavatory
Accommodation.
Under the powers conferred by the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, your
Authority constructed an underground convenience near the " Elephant and Castle,'
in the year 1893. This Lavatory was built for men only, and has proved, by its
steady and increasing income, that it has satisfied a public want. I would now
suggest that the Vestry considerably increase the present Public Lavatory accommodation,
which is needed, not only for the inhabitants of this populous parish, but
for the many wayfarers that pass through its busy streets. Two sites that appear
to me particularly suitable for the purpose are:—first, the junction of the
Old and New Kent Roads; and, the other, the Obelisk at St. George's Circus.
Experience has shown that these underground conveniences become a paying parish
property from an economical point of view, particularly as the money required for
their construction may be borrowed under the Act. Before leaving this matter, I
may, perhaps, point out that, according to modern views, this kind of necessary
accommodation should be provided for women, as well as for men. As a first step
in a right direction, a Women's Lavatory might be addded to the one existing near
the " Elephant and Castle."
The Partial Breakdown in the South London
Water Supply.
The public inquiry into the causes of the failure of the supply of Water to
Dwelling-houses in Southwark during the frost of 1895 was instituted by the Local
Government Board, and carried out in May last, by Major-General A. de C. Scott.
In the course of the inquiry the following information regarding the Water Supply
to St. George's, furnished by (a) the Lambeth Company, and (b) the Southwark and
Vauxhall Company, was given by me :—
1. That, in my opinion, a serious danger to health, due to want of water, was
present during a period commencing at the latter end of January, and
extending into April, and that this danger was markedly manifest in the
crowded and lofty " Model" Dwellings which, in St. George's alone, house
upwards of 12,800 persons.
2. That the failure of the Water Supply was more or less due to—
(a) The fact of the communication pipes and mains having been laid at a
depth insufficient to protect them from the effects of frost.
(b) The freezing of water in domestic supply pipes and cisterns, which is
often traceable to their unprotected condition.
(c) Neglect of the Companies to provide water in dwelling-houses at a
pressure in any way approaching that fixed by their special or
private Acts.
e.g.—This state of affairs actually occurred and was seen by Major-General
Scott, after the frost, in the case of a " Model " Dwelling accommodating
upwards of 3,000 persons, and supplied with water by the Lambeth
Company. The block building in question is a five-storied one, and about
80 feet in height. The water was gauged as reaching the second storey
only.