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200
PUBLIC SANITARY CONVENIENCES.
There are only fifteen public urinals in the Parish—a very
inadequate number—and no public water-closets, except those
at the rear of the Vestry Hall, and at Norfolk Terrace—both
for the male sex only. Section 88, Metropolis Local
Management Act, 1855, enabled the vestries and district boards
to "provide and maintain urinals, water-closets, and like conveniences
for both sexes, in situations where they deem such
accommodation to be required; "but your Vestry's efforts to
provide this necessary accommodation, for the male sex, were
very generally thwarted by local opposition. Increased powers
for the purpose of such provision, are given by the Public
Health (London) Act "(vide page 121)," which to facilitate the
construction of underground conveniences; vests the sub-soil of
roadways in the Sanitary Authority who, moreover, have power
to compensate persons injured by the erection of these conveniences
near their houses, &c. Accommodation is provided
at about 170 public-houses—not of a very satisfactory sort in
many instances, but better than none at all, and much improved
as the result of proceedings taken by your Vestry in 1888.
The County Council, in May, 1889, signified to the vestries
and district boards its opinion of the necessity for Chalet accommodation
for men and women, or the construction of places
giving -such accommodation below the level of the ground, in
the manner which has proved successful in the City and elsewhere;
moved thereto by the "many cases of physical injury
coming to the knowledge" of the medical profession, which
are "traceable to the want of proper accommodation of this
nature in London." Little, however, has been done hitherto,
to give effect to the views of the Council. In this Parish one
Chalet, for men, in Norfolk Terrace, constructed as a speculation
by private persons, and having proved unsuccessful, was taken
over by your Vestry, and is now in use. An underground
construction near the Bell and Horns, at the junction of the
Brompton and Fulham Roads, now in hand, will provide all
necessary conveniences for both sexes.