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schemes and five detached plans showing the best development of this land.
This was submitted to the Plans Committee in September, and the Architect
was then instructed to prepare further plans of scheme A (amended) " so that
when the opportune time arrives, the Council will be in a position to consider
the question without delay."
On June 17th, the Finance Committee considered a letter asking upon
what terms the Council would be prepared to lend money under the Small
Dwellings Acquisition Act, 1899, for the purchase of a house in the district.
The Clerk was instructed to submit a report on the subject.
IMPERIAL HEALTH CONFERENCE.
I attended this Conference held at the Imperial Institute, London, from
18th to 21 st May, when important subjects were discussed by delegates from
Great Britain, her Dominions and Crown Colonies. It was convened by the
Victoria League. My report thereon was published in the Council minutes for
9th June, 1914. It was here that Mr. Herbert Samuel, President of the Local
Government Board, announced that as schemes were not being adopted in areas
where they were obviously required, Parliament would be asked to make townplanning
compulsory in such areas, and that the Board of Trade was interesting
itself in the improvement of transit from the home to the workshop or business.
I spoke on the last afternoon immediately after the Viscount Peel, the
Chairman of the London County Council. I thereupon took the opportunity
to deplore the stepmotherly attitude of this central authority towards the local
authorities around the County of London. I also urged the Victoria League to
give its immediate attention to several difficulties which have for years hampered
the work of municipalities and their officers, e.g., need of consolidation (with
amendment) of all the Acts of Parliament dealing with sanitation since 1875,
and of all the countless Orders, Regulations, and thousands of circular letters
issued by the Government Departments regarding the Public Health Department
since that date. These should all be concentrated within the covers of
two volumes, portly perhaps, but easy of reference.
During this Conference came (to our regret) the sudden death of Alderman
W. Thompson, of Richmond, Chairman of the National Housing and Townplanning
Council. His reputation as a practical town-planner was world-wide,
and his loss leaves a gap in the forefront of housing reformers which will not
soon be filled up.