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170
furnished to the several members of your Vestry. The Committee
criticised both bills unfavourably, and, while agreeing that
the Council should be the Water Authority for London, asserted
that compulsion to buy out the Companies would involve an
expenditure much greater than was necessary for placing the
supply upon a satisfactory basis, such as the Council could arrange
if empowered to deal with the subject with a free hand. The
third measure, "London Water (MeterJ," was also a Public
Bill, but introduced by private members, to enable consumers, at
their option, to be supplied with water for domestic purposes by
"meter." The Bill found little favour, and it is needless to
criticise its details. Suffice it to say that to stint the supply of
water for domestic purposes—the natural effect of such a measure
if carried out in practice—would be about as unwise a course,
from the public health point of view, as could well be conceived.
The reasons which determined my opposition to former Bills of
this description, have been more than once stated in these Reports,
and they need not now be repeated; but I may mention that the
Society of Medical Officers of Health resolved, at my instance,
to petition against the Bill. The several Bills were referred to a
Committee of the House, and, although the two chief measures
(like the rest) were thrown out, their introduction had a good
effect, so that there really seems to be a prospect of the matter
being dealt with, so as to bring about, at no distant time, a transference
of the property and powers of the Companies, on equitable
terms, to some Public Authority, which, probably, will be the
County Council.
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD ON
THE DWELLINGS OF THE LABOURING CLASSES.
In my last Report (page 119) I reproduced an important letter
addressed (December 2nd, 1889) to the Sanitary Authorities by
the President of the Local Government Board, dealing with the
"great and pressing question of the housing of the labouring
classes," many of whom, it was said, "are at present housed in