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172
of the rate; hut occasionally such notice is given, and
then the law is put in motion to obtain a renewal of supply;
your Vestry's officers thus becoming, practically, the agents of
the Companies to enforce payment of the rate. Referring to
these anomalies, I observed, in my Report for 1882, that it is
" an unreasonable thing that a Water Company should have the
power of cutting-off the supply because, to take an extreme
case as an example, an iron pipe is used where a lead pipe
should have been used ; or because a lead pipe is used of less
weight per lineal yard than the Regulations require. ... In
such a case," I added, " the Company would be required to
give your Vestry 'notice,' the ' nuisance' being 'presumed to
be such as to render the premises unfit for hum in habitation,'
although water may flow into the cistern ; and yet they are
under no obligation to give such notice when they have cut-off the
water to compel payment of a debt, a step whereby nuisance is
actually created." I adhere to the opinion then expressed that
notice should be given in every case, but more especially that
the Companies should not be allowed to cut-off at all, but should
be endowed with ample power to recover payment of the rate,
which, moreover, they can insist on having paid in advance.
The subject is of so much importance that I may remind your
Vestry that in my second and third Monthly Reports for 1882
(February 1st and March 1st, p. 6 and p. 13) I recommended
that the attention of the Local Government Board be directed
to the need of further legislation (inter alia) to take away the
power of the Companies to cut-off water from premises, substituting
therefor such other powers to enable the Companies to
recover rates, or make good fittings, &c., as to the wisdom of
Parliament should seem sufficient and equitable. These Reports
were referred to the Works, Sanitary, and General Purposes
Committee, who after much consideration reported as follows
(a) " That the Water Companies should be requested, if they are not by
law required, to give the Vestry notice in every case when they
have cut-off the supply of water from inhabited premises from
whatever cause.