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deductions therefrom, he embodied in a valuable Report, submitted
to the Board in November last; and a copy having been forwarded
to the Chelsea Waterworks Company, that body, after some
negociation, agreed to reduce their charge from 5s. 9d. to 4s. 6d.
per 100 square yards watered, making a saving to the Ratepayers
of about £140 per annum.
5. Previous to the passing of the " Metropolis Local Management
Act," the District had been subdivided into numerous
separate Paving and Lighting Commissions and Trusts; and the
Board found in operation at its accession to office a number of Gas
Lighting Contracts, each one varying from the other as to its
terms and conditions. The Board thought it advisable, at the earliest
opportunity, to determine these, with a view to their simplification,
and in order to give equal advantages to the inhabitants of
every portion of the District, without regard to locality. In pursuance
of these views, new Contracts have been entered into with the
Chartered, the Equitable, and the Western Gas Companies respectively,
for lighting the District from Christmas last. The Board,
however, regrets that, in consequence of the combination of the
Metropolitan Gas Companies to district out the Metropolis into
lighting areas, arbitrarily divided among themselves, and the
consequent total cessation of competition, a considerable increase
of cost is incurred under this head; and the Board has so strongly
felt the necessity for neutralizing the effect of such a combination
of powerful Companies, that, in conjunction with other Metropolitan
Vestries and District Boards, it has appealed to Parliament for an
inquiry into the whole subject of Metropolitan Gas Lighting, and
a Committee has been appointed by the House of Commons for the
purpose, from whose labours it may confidently be hoped that this
question—the importance of which can scarcely be overrated—will
be placed on a satisfactory footing.
6. With a view to assist the Board to determine the circumstances
under which the Carriage-ways of the District should
respectively be paved or macadamized, the Surveyor prepared an
elaborate Report upon the subject, containing valuable information,
which the Board ordered to be printed and circulated ; and the
highly-favourable opinion expressed by the public press, and by
Engineers and others interested in the question, have abundantly
shown that the Board had not overrated its value. The Board
desires to take this opportunity of drawing attention to the