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175
The area of the Barking Town Urban District is 3,805 acres, and the population
is estimated at 40,000 persons. The Borough of Ilford comprises an area of 8,496
acres, with an estimated population of about 110,000 persons. Based upon average
quantities, the total quantity of sewage discharging from these areas is approximately
4| million gallons a day. Compared with the quantity of sewage discharging
to the Council's Northern main drainage outfall, over 160 million gallons a day,
these quantities are comparatively small, and will, under any conditions which
can be estimated of increases of population in the two districts remain so. So far,
therefore, as the engineering aspect of the question is concerned there appeared
to be no practical difficulty in receiving the sewage from the t.wo districts into the
London main drainage system. Negotiations took place, and ultimately terms were
agreed, which included a payment by the two authorities jointly of £1,000 a year
for 30 years in respect of discharged capital on main drainage works and annual
payments in two instalments calculated on a net annual value basis (including the
value on which contributions are made in respect of Crown property) and based
upon the portion of the rate levied by the Council attributable to main drainage
purposes, including administrative costs calculated at not exceeding 5 per cent.
Agreement was also reached upon the engineering aspects of the matter, providing
for the limitation of the quantity of sewage to be discharged to 50 gallons a day
for each head of population, the disposal of storm water, etc. In view of the urgency
of the matter the Council decided to make application to Parliament in the session
of 1928 to sanction the arrangement, and the London County Council (Ilford and
Barking Drainage) Act, 1928, was passed.
An agreement has been entered into with the Beckenham Urban District Council
for the drainage of certain houses erected in Kingshall-road, Beckenham, payment
being made on the same basis as that in respect of the part of Beckenham draining
into the London main drainage system under the provisions of the Beckenham
Sewerage Act. 1873.
Following upon a cessation of work by the crews of the sludge vessels on 1st
January, 1926, a conference took place between representatives of the Council and
representatives of the officers and men, when a resumption of work was agreed upon
subject to certain conditions. One of the conditions was as follows : " That the
" Council will immediately consider the methods by which wages on the sludge
" vessels services shall be fixed in future. In this connection it will be considered
" whether these can be fixed by a method other than the Maritime Board " It
appeared to the Council that the most convenient method to be adopted would
be for the Council to fix rates of pay in the light of awards made from time to time
by the National Maritime Board with regard to home trade vessels. Various trade
associations and trades unions, representative of similar types of employees to those
employed on the sludge vessels, were consulted, but their views were so varied in
character that practically no assistance could be derived therefrom. In the circumstances
the Council decided to defer dealing with the matter until any application
should be made from the employees concerned for revision of the rates of wages,
provided that the Council should be at liberty at any time to review such rates of
wages.
16479 M2
Staff.