View report page

237
The subject again came before your "Vestry, and was reported
on by me in my eleventh Report last year (November 3rd, page
129), when it was resolved, upon the recommendation of the Law
and Parliamentary Committee, that a communication be addressed to
the Local Government Board, expressing approval of the principle
laid down in a memorial addressed to that Board by the
Poplar Board of Works, to the effect that "the Water
Companies should not, on any grounds, be empowered to cut off
the water supply from any occupied premises." The Poplar
Board in their memorial, copy of which was sent to the several
Sanitary Authorities, whose co-operation was invited, referred to
the frequency with which the supply of water to a dwelling is
cut off in consequence of a defect existing in the fittings governing
the supply, whereby distress is caused to the tenants of
the house, although the defect arises from no fault on their part.
The Water Company having refused to refrain from cutting-off
the supply by reason of defective fittings, in that district, on the
ground that such a course is absolutely necessary, owing to
great waste of water, the Poplar Board requested the Local
Government Board to introduce a Bill to extend the powers of the
Act 50 and 51 Vic., cap. 21 (Forrest Fulton's Act, before referred
to, which prevents the Company from cutting-off the supply of
water to a dwelling-house where the water-rate is payable by
the owner), so as to make it illegal for a Water Company to
cut off water for any reason whatever. But nothing was done.
Underground Tanks: The Regulations.—A communication
was received, in July, 1889, from the Coroner, forwarded at
the request of a jury, with reference to the death of a child
drowned in an underground tank in a mews at South Kensington.
The jury very properly observed "that these tanks are exceedingly
dangerous, and ought to be done away with." The jury
supposed that the Sanitary Authority had some power of control
over the placing of cisterns; but it is not so. The Water Companies,
however, have powers under regulation 16 which provides
that: "No cistern buried or excavated in the ground shall be