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ceedings have been taken against any person drawing a Bath Chair
on the footway, the use of the vehicle being taken to imply an
invalid condition of its occupant. The Police proceeded against
one gentleman who had my certificate, but your clerk by your
direction attended before the Magistrate at the Police Court and
explained the circumstances, with the effect of obtaining the dismissal
of the summons. This happened in the month of November.
No similar proceedings have been instituted up to the present
time.
WATER SUPPLY.
It was anticipated that long before the present time the constant
service system would have been generally introduced; but by far
the greater part of London is still dependent for its water upon an
intermittent supply. In this Parish few houses have a constant
supply; and, in all London, only about one tenth of the houses
aro so served, and this to a large extent by means of standpipes.
The general introduction of the system of constant supply is retarded,
almost prohibited, indeed, by the excessive costliness and
stringency of the regulations framed by the Water Companies,
and approved by the Secretary of State, which must be complied
with before the Companies will give a constant service. But for
these regulations, the general introduction of the constant supply
might be looked forward to at no distant date, for there are now
about 650 miles of mains constantly charged—upwards of a fourth
of the total length. It is from these mains, and by the use of
water-waste preventers, that so many poor houses in courts, &c.,
at the East End are now supplied. With reference to the quality
of the water in this Parish, Dr. Frankland, F.R.S., reports that
the water supplied by the West Middlesex Company was clear
upon all occasions when examined during the past year; and, upon
no occasion, were "living organisms" found in it. The Chelsea
Company's water was "slightly turbid" twice, "turbid"
once, and contained "living organisms" at two out of twelve
examinations. The Grand Junction Company's water was slightly
turbid and contained living organisms on three occasions; the
examinations in the case of each water being made monthly.
The turbidity of the water is due to suspended matters, and occurs
especially at flood times; and, when it occurs, the suspended
matters are found almost invariably to contain large numbers of
"living and moving organisms." The clearness bf the water supplied
by the West Middlesex Company is due to efficient filtration.
The Company possess large intake reservoirs, and, thus being able
to store an ample supply of water, they are independent of floods.
The proportion of organic elements in the water supplied by the
several Companies is given by Dr. Frankland as below, the very