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veniences. Were public Boards empowered to insist upon a constant supply
the risk of waste might be obviated by the use of waste-water preventers
As it is, we see the evils and deplore them, but have little power to prevent
them. Were the improvements indicated carried out, they would enable us
to abolish the manifest and most penicious evil of making a single cistern
supply water both for domestic and sewage use. It would be also possible
to supply water to every storey of a lodging-house. I do not notice any
deficiency in the quality of the water supplied to this district; but there is
good reason to believe that if the "constant" system were adopted, there
would be less water consumed than under present arrangements. The
Registrar-General has informed us that London is the only great City in
England that has an intermittent supply.
Objections to the Power of Cutting-off the Water Supply. The power
now given to companies to cut-off the supply of water should not be
permitted. Water is one of the first necessaries of life, and it would be
as reasonable to permit a company, who made a pretension of disinfecting
the atmosphere, to cut-off our supply of air, as to allow the practice in the
case of water. The companies should resort to other means of redress for
any violation of their regulations.
The Water-closet System. 69. Again, the present water-closet system is
not adapted to the requirements of the class who dwell in the worst parts of
Saint Giles. These closets are a source of infinite trouble to all parties
concerned. Cocks will not work, pipes are cut away, seats get broken, and
as the top of the closet is usually regarded as the most convenient place for
the cistern, and as the cistern is often not water-tight, a leakage goes on
which keeps the seat constantly "wet." As it is a rare thing for the water
apparatus to be in good working order, the pans cannot be flushed by a turn
of the tap, but must be cleansed otherwise, after getting stopped, and then
flushed by throwing down water. This process, of course, drenches the
seat, which, in winter, never dries, and is therefore rendered unfit for use.
From this point the trouble begins again.
Trough Closets. 70. Powers should be given by the Legislature
enabling a Local Board to require the substitution of Trough Closets, which
would require flushing not more than twice a day—a duty that should be
done by a properly appointed agent. The ordinary trough closet is
susceptible of improvements, which it is unnecessary, now, to indicate.
Mr. Corbie's Case. 71. As an example of the imperfection of the
present law, I may instance the fact, that Mr. Corbie was summoned before
the Magistrate at the Clerkenwell Police Court, to put the water-closet of
one of his houses in proper repair; the defect being that there was no pipe connecting
the closet with the water-butt, and the closet was consequently left
without water. Mr. Cooke declined to make the order, on the ground that
he had no power; for although the 13th Clause of the "Nuisances' Removal
and Diseases Prevention Act, 1855," under which the summons was taken
out, empowers Justices to require the person on whom the order is made,
to provide "sufficient privy accommodation,'' "means of drainage," "to
drain, empty, cleanse, fill-up, amend or remove," any privy or urinal which is
a nuisance or injurious to health, or " o provide a substitute for that complained
of," or "to do such other works or acts as are necessary to abate the
nuisance," &c., &c., it does not appear that these terms are sufficiently
precise to justify the Magistrate in requiring that a pipe should be attached
to a water-closet, in order that it might be "amended" so as to be provided
with proper "means of drainage." There was the pan and the drain, but
the apparatus could not be worked without water; yet, the only resource
was to make an order upon the defendant to cleanse the closet; a process to
be followed by the evils I have already described.
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