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The public water supply was the subject of much attention at the hands of the
Vestry of Shoreditch. The great importance of safe-guarding the public health in this
direction soon came to be recognised and great activity was exercised in securing as
pure a supply of water as possible for the people. Formerly pumps, drawing water
from dubious sources, were fairly numerous throughout the district. The water
obtained from them was suspected and examined. It was found to be quite unfit for
human consumption, and the pumps were abolished, as were also the filthy water
butts and cisterns, which fifteen or twenty years ago abounded everywhere in Shoreditch.
As the result of the representations which were made—eventually a constant
supply of water was secured from the water companies.
The records of the Vestry's surveyors show that an immense amount of work has
been carried out in connection with the construction, repairing and cleansing of roads
and footways, and the construction and re-construction of public sewers. Special
importance has been attached to the paving of narrow streets, courts, and alleys, with
impervious material, with a view to facilitating the cleansing of such places. All
these are matters which have a great influence in promoting the health of the
district.
Careful supervision has been exercised over the public sanitary couveniences
which have been erected from time to time in various parts of Shoreditch, and it may
be mentioned, that several fine modern underground conveniences and lavatories,
constructed in accordance with the latest sanitary improvements, have been within
the past five years constructed at suitable spots in the district.
Up to about ten years ago, the removal of house and street refuse was effected
through the medium of a contractor. The Vestry then took this important sanitary
duty in hand, and in order to ensure it being carried out in a satisfactory
manner constituted a special department for the purpose. Within the past few years
a distructor for burning house and trade reluse has been erected, and nearly 30,000
tons of such refuse are annually burnt. It is hardly necessary to dwell upon the fact
which is generally recognised, that the destruction of house and trade refuse by means
of fire, is from a public health point of view the most rational and sanitary method of
disposing of it.
The great question of the housing of the working classes has received a good deal
of attention in Shoreditch; the Moira Place and Plumbers Place improvement
scheme which has been carried out during the past 10 years may be mentioned as an
important piece of sanitary work satisfactorily accomplished for the benefit of the
district. Some of the worst slum property in Shoreditch was thus swept away. Where
formerly there existed narrow streets and courts, with houses back to back, small,
dirty, badly ventilated, insufficiently lighted and mostly worn out, with sanitary
arrangements generally bad, now, broad well paved streets with most excellent blocks
of model dwellings erected by the Vestry in accordance with modern sanitary require-