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69
they suggest that the Government should be asked to legislate. On the presentation of the Committee's
report on the 17 th December the Council resolved—
(1) That Her Majesty's Government be asked whether they will promote or assist legislation dealing
with the metropolitan water supply on the following lines—that the entire control of the water supply
within the area of the County of London shall be in the hands of the London consumers, directly
represented by the County Council in conjunction with the City Corporation; that the consumers in
the metropolitan water area outside the County shall not be denied, or deprived of, similar rights in
their respective areas ; and that the purchase price of the existing water undertakings shall not be
assessed under the provisions of the Lands Clauses Consolidation Act, but shall be based upon the fair
and reasonable value of these undertakings, due regard being had to the rights, special circumstances,
and obligations of the companies; also that the Parliamentary Committee be instructed to report as to
the reply of Her Majesty's Government immediately after the recess.
(2) That the Council do authorise negotiations to be initiated by the Water Committee with the
water companies for the purchase of their undertakings.
(3) That, with a view to the Council coming to a decision on the pressing question of new sources of
supply as compared with a scheme of storage reservoirs, the Water Committee be instructed to report
their final conclusions without delay.
Height of Supply.
On November 5th, 1895, the Council adopted a report of the Parliamentary Committee, stating that
they had instructed the Parliamentary agent to prepare a bill providing for the East London Waterworks
Company, to be made subject to section 35 of the Waterworks Clauses Act, 1847, which requires that
a supply of water shall be constantly laid on at such a pressure as will make the water reach the top
storey of the highest houses within the limits of supply.
Constant Water Supply.
The annual report of the chief officer of the Council's Public Control department shows that
constant water supply was extended during the year ending March 25th, 1896, so that at that date 86
per cent, of the houses in London were thus receiving their water.
Disinfection.
Appended to this report is a return showing the arrangements which exist in the several sanitary
districts of London for disinfection. (See Appendix II.). During the year the districts of Poplar and
Newington have been provided with steam disinfecting apparatus, and in Islington the steam disinfector,
which was in course of erection in 1894,has been completed. In Marylebone and Limehouse and St. Saviour
the provision of a steam disinfector has been decided upon, but in the last district no progress appears
to have been made.
Account is given in the reports of the medical officers of health of the following districts of the
steps taken with regard to disinfection—
Paddington.—Bedding and other goods are always disinfected after all notified diseases except
erysipelas, and at times after such diseases as measles and phthisis. The work is still done by the
contractor.
Kensington.—The vestry are still considering the question of doing the work without a contractor,
and the medical officer of health points out that the expenditure under existing arrangements is
excessive and might be materially reduced if the vestry would undertake the work themselves.
Fulham.—The medical officer of health recommends the vestry to undertake the work themselves
instead of employing a contractor, and considers that provision for that purpose might be made
on the same site as that for the destruction of refuse.
Chelsea.—The Public Health Committee declined to adopt a recommendation of their medical
officer of health, that the vestry should themselves cleanse rooms after cases of infectious diseases, but
decided that notices for this purpose should be served and enforced where such measures would be
likely to prevent the spread of infection.
St. George, Hanover-square.—Notices are sent to the public library to prevent books being
issued to infected houses, and certificates are sent to schools after disinfection has been done in houses
that the teachers may know when to re-admit children.
Westminster.—The medical officer of health reports that all infected articles from the barracks
and hospitals of the 2nd Life Guards are disinfected free of charge by the vestry, the number of
articles in 1895 thus disinfected amounting to 835.
Islington.—The medical officer of health describes the new disinfecting station which he says
" is probably the most complete in England," and consists of two steam disinfectors, and has a laundry
in connection with it.
Stoke Newington.—" During the year arrangements have been made for the disinfection of
articles of clothing and of bedding by superheated steam instead of the less effectual method of dry
heat formerly employed." Notices are sent to the public library of the existence of any infectious
disease, and books from infected houses are not received back by the library until they have been
disinfected.
St. Martin-in-the-Fields.—The disinfection is still done by a contractor, and the medical officer
of health reports that it is done " with the greatest promptitude and care."
Strand.—In addition to disinfecting after notifiable diseases, disinfection has been done on the
certificates of medical men after measles; thorough cleansing of rooms, and in some cases disinfection
by steam has been resorted to after deaths from phthisis. Intimation is sent to the public library
as in some other districts to prevent the issue of books to infected houses.
City.—Besides articles of clothing, five cabs were disinfected and returned to their owners.
St. George-in-the-East.—The vestry have not yet been able to provide proper buildings and
apparatus for the disinfection and destruction of infected articles. The delay has been caused by the
breakdown of the negotiations with Limehouse for the joint use of an apparatus, and by the difficulty
in finding a suitable site.