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is really an engineering work, and properly should be proposed by such an expert. As to who should
undertake this work, I would suggest that the Lea Drainage Commissioners, who have already done
similar work in other parts of the Lea, and apparently with good results, should be re-appointed, under
a new Act of Parliament, if necessary, to carry out the work of preventing floods from the Lea in this
district.
Infant Life Protection Act, 1897.
In 1897 an Act was passed amending the Infant Life Protection Act. The Secretary of State
for the Home Department forwarded to the Council the following abstract of the Act of 1897. He
also stated that he would request the police authorities to give the Council their hearty co-operation in
giving effect to the provisions of the Act—
(1.) Every person* receiving more than one infant under the age of five years for
maintenance apart from their parents for hire or reward for a longer period than 48 hours,
shall give notice thereof within 48 hours to the County Council.
This notice shall truly state the names, ages and sex of the infants, and the names and
abode of the persons receiving, and the persons from whom the infants were received.
(2.) If any such infant is transferred from the care of a person who has so received it,
notice must forthwith be given of the name and address of the person to whom it has been
transferred.
(3.) Any person receiving an infant under two years for a lump sum, not exceeding
£20, without any agreement for further payment, shall give notice within 48 hours. In
default, any sum received is liable to be forfeited.
(4.) All such notices shall be in writing, and shall either be delivered at
or be sent by registered letter to at
(5.) In case of the death of any such infant, notice must be given to the coroner of the
district within 24 hours by the person having care of the infant.
(6.) All persons receiving such infants must admit without obstruction the inspector or
other person appointed by the County Council to inspect the infants and the premises in
which they are retained.
(7.) They must also obey the directions of the County Council with regard to the number
of infants who may be received in any premises, and with regard to the removal of any child
from their care to a workhouse or a place of safety.
(8.) All persons whatsoever must admit to their premises and refrain from obstructing
an inspector or other person acting on the authority of a search warrant issued under this Act.
(9.) No infant shall be received for hire by any person who has been deprived of the care
of any child under this Act, or has been convicted of any offence under the Protection of
Children Acts, unless the County Council consent in writing.
(10.) Every person who disobeys the foregoing provisions of the law is liable to be fined
£5, or sent to prison for six months.
The London Equalisation of Rates Act, 1894.
The Equalisation of Rates Act provides that the London County Council shall in each year
form a fund equal to a rate of sixpence in the pound on the rateable value of London. The contribution
from each parish to the fund is to be in proportion to its rateable value. The fund thus formed is
to be distributed among the sanitary districts in proportion to their population. Where a sanitary
district comprises two or more parishes, and the aggregate of the contributions from such parishes
is less than the grant apportioned to the district, the difference shall be paid out of the fund to the
sanitary authority of the district, and no payment towards any equalisation charge shall be required
from any parish in the district.
Subject to the above, when the contribution from a parish is less than the grant due, the
difference shall be paid out of the fund to the sanitary authority of the district forming or comprising
the parish; and if it exceeds the grant due to the parish, the Council shall, for the special purpose of
meeting the excess, levy on the parish a county contribution as a separate item of the county rate.
Every sum paid to a sanitary authority must be applied in defraying the expenses of the
sanitary authority incurred under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and so far as not required
for that purpose those incurred in respect of lighting, and so far as not required for that purpose
those incurred in respect of streets, and where the sanitary district comprises two or more parishes
the sum paid must be apportioned among such parishes in proportion to their population, and the
amount apportioned to each parish credited to the parish in the reduction of the rate required from
such parish towards the above-mentioned expenses.
The sanitary authority is required to render annually to the Local Government Board a return
showing the amount of the sum to be paid, and the total expenses incurred in respect of the three
subjects mentioned.
If the Local Government Board, under section 101 of the Public Health (London) Act, are
satisfied that the sanitary authority have been guilty of such default as in such section mentioned, and
have made an order limiting a time for the performance of the duty of the authority, the London
County Council shall, if directed by the Local Government Board, withhold the whole or any part of
the payment of the sum due to such authority.
The Act provides that for the purposes of the distribution of the fund a census shall be taken
on the 29th March, 1896, which census was taken on that date as provided. In other years an estimate
of population on the 6th April will be made by the Registrar-General upon returns which the Local
Government Board will receive from the authority making the poor rate in each parish, showing the
total number of houses entered in the rate book of the parish.
* This doea not include hospitals and charitable institutions, nor the parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts or guardians of an infant.
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