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face orbed of any street, road, footway, bridge, river or place, and
may, with the consent in writing of the owner or occupier of any
house or building, attach to such house or building, such posts, conductors,
wires, tubes, mains, plates, cables, boxes and apparatus, and
may make and maintain such openings and ways in, on, or under any
such surface or bed as may be necessary or convenient either for the
working of the tramways or for connecting any portions of the tramways,
or for providing access to or forming connections with any
generating station or other stations, engines, machinery, or apparatus."
30. No new generating station was authorised by the Act of 1902,
nor were any of the tramways referred to in the Bill situate in this
Borough. In March, 1905, the Company gave notice to the Council of
their intention to break up the roadway along Park Side, Wimbledon
Common, Putney Hill, Putney High Street, and Putney Bridge, for the
purpose of laying cables to connect an intended sub-station at
or near Kingston, with the central power station at Lot's Road,
Chelsea. The Council objected to the proposal and requested the
Company to withdraw their notice. This the Company declined to do,
and, upon the advice of counsel, application was made for an injunction
to restrain the Company from breaking up the roads in question. The
Council contended that the Company had no authority to break up or
disturb the streets in districts where they had not been empowered to
lay a tramway, and that prior to the application for the Act of 1902 no
notice was posted up in any of the streets in this Borough where it
was proposed to lay the electric cable. The application was heard
before Mr. Justice Warrington on the 20th May, and dismissed, the
judge being of opinion that the Company had power to execute the
works necessary in connection with the working of their system with
the generating station in Lot's Road.
31. The Company having served similar notices on the Chelsea and
Fulham Borough Councils, Wimbledon District Council and the
London County Council, a Conference of Representatives of those
authorities and this Council was held to consider the desirability of
appealing against the decision, but having regard to the judgment of
Mr. Warrington and to the views of the other authorities concerned,
the Council decided not to appeal against the decision.
32. The Council having had under consideration the decision of
the Metropolitan Water Board to introduce in the next
session of Parliament a Bill providing for a uniform
Water
Supply.