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47
ROADS.
The following private streets have been made during the year under the
1892 Act:—Gardenia and Solna Roads at Bush Hill Park—a total length of
462 yards taken over for future maintenance at the public expense.
During the past year the tar dressing of the roads has been considerably
extended, which has assisted to mitigate the dust nuisance and make the houses
on either side of the roads more habitable.
The main road widenings consequent upon the installation of electric
tramcars have made progress, but even at the end of the year some few had
not been completed.
At the end of the year the Metropolitan Electric Tramways Ltd. were promoting
a Bill in Parliament to extend the time for exercising railless traction
powers and for more time to complete the road widenings to 60 feet in Edmonton,
as agreed in 1905 between the Company and the District and the County
Councils.
The wooden bridge over Pymmes Brook at Weir Hall has been replaced by
an iron one. Silver Street widening, including the culverting of the brook south
of Pymmes Park, has been suspended until after the war.
In January, the Engineer estimated that it would cost £"7,000 to make
Angel Road equal to heavy traffic by paving it with 4 inch granite blocks, but
only the expenditure of £"90 was authorised to make a kerbed footpath for 200
yards alongside Pymmes Brook. At Midsummer negotiations were opened to
improve Montague Road where it crosses the Great Eastern Railway line from
Angel Road to Lower Edmonton.
WATER SUPPLY.
In a letter of June 29th, 1915, from the Metropolitan Water Board,
submitted to the Council on 13th July, this policy was definitely stated, "whilst
the Water Board require the provision of storage cisterns, as a precaution
against accidents to, or the necessary shutting down of, mains, they strongly
encourage the provision of taps on the rising main, and afford all necessary
facilities in that direction." In years gone by it was often stated by builders
and owners to me that a drinking water supply was not laid from the main over
the sink because the Water Board would not allow a house to have this
hygienic method of obtaining water for drinking, otherwise than from a cistern,
which was often to be found without a cover, and perhaps under a bedroom
floor, or in other unsuitable position.