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the provision of a "proper and sufficient supply" of water for the tenants of every tenement house
in the borough. In July, 1905, a circular letter was, accordingly, sent to the owners of certain
houses in Clarendon, Cirencester and Woodchester-streets, in which the need for the provision of a
"proper and sufficient supply" of water was particularly apparent. Owing to the special
circumstances of the houses in these streets, the owners were required to provide a better supply and
means were suggested for doing this. In some instances an additional supply was provided, in others
nothing was done, and ultimately summonses were taken out against the owners of six houses. The
first summons — against the owner of three houses in Cirencester-street—was heard by
Mr. Plowden, on the 17th November, 1905, who dismissed the case with one guinea costs against
the Borough Council, and, in doing so, stated that the words of the section of the Act as to
the provision of a "proper and sufficient supply" of water referred to the source of supply and not to
the provision of taps within the house. The magistrate did not think that the section was intended
to deal with an instance in which the occupant would be put to inconvenience, as was alleged was
the case in these houses.
Inasmuch as the houses in this test case presented particularly striking instances of the need
for the provision of that additional supply of water which the magistrate held could not be insisted
upon in the existing state of the law, the Committee will no doubt like to have a detailed description
of the conditions existing at these premises at the present time.
The three houses are similar and consist of four storeys—basement, ground floor, first floor, and second floor—
the only tap available for the supply of water to the inmates of each house is one which is placed over a sink in
the back addition wash-house in the basement, and the two water closets provided at each house are situated in the
yard.
The approximate height of these houses is shown by the following sketch :—
It will be noticed from the sketch that the tenants on the top floor have to carry all water for use in the
tenements up three flights of stairs, consisting of 48 steps, and being a vertical height of about 30 feet, and all waste
water has to be taken down a similar distance to the water closets or sinks in the yard.
No. A, Cirencester-street.
The basement front and back rooms are occupied by one family of two adults and four children, at a rental of
6s. per week. The ground floor front, back and back addition rooms are occupied by a family of seven persons,
three being under 10 years of age, at a rental of 7s. per week.
The first floor front room is occupied by a man, his wife and one child ; the rent of the room is 4s. 6d. per
week. The water for use in the tenement is stored in a one-gallon can, which contained water and was under the
bed at the time of inspection. This can is said to be filled about ten tines daily; thus necessitating a return journey
to the basement ten times ; the basement floor is 31 steps and about 20 feet below the first floor, the labour involved
being therefore equivalent to that required to lift 10 pounds weight of water to a height of 200 feet.
The first floor back room is occupied by two persons at a rent of 2s. 9d. per week. Four gallons of water is
said to be the average quantity required for U6e in the room, and a two-gallon jar is employed for storing the
water in the living and sleeping apartment.