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6
The conduct of the New River Company is tantamount to saying that
they will not allow water waste preventers to be used in the District supplied
by them At present, owing to the want of responsibility of the water
companies to any authority, public opinion is disregarded; and although they
are invested with arbitrary powers, those powers are not exercised for the
benefit of the inhabitants either as regards their health or comfort It therefore
now is incumbent upon the public to petition the legislature to so amend
the Water Act, as shall compel the companies to behave in a more liberal
manner, so that the sanitary condition of the people may be promoted The
question of the health and lives of the people is involved in this matter, and
consequently it admits of no delay The companies need be under no fear
of persons using water without paying for it, for every exertion has been
made, and will continue to be made, by the Sanitary Officers of this Board, to
compel the landlord of each house to supply it with water If a house let
out in tenements is not supplied with water, such house is, in my opinion,
unfit for habitation, and may be closed until water is laid on to it
It is expected that the Royal Commission on the Water Supply of London
will recommend that it shall be made compulsory on the companies to adopt
the system of constant supply
COURTS SUPPLIED WITH WATER BY MEANS OF A STAND-TAP ONLY
The following Courts are now the only ones in this District which have
only the old fashioned stand-tap, from which water flows daily (Sundays
excepted) for a period of about half an hour: Bond's Buildings, Earthing
Alley, Gower's Place, Keate Court, Hunt Court, Eele Place, Garden Court,
New Court in Quaker Street, Wilk Court, Half Wilk Court, Union Court in
Wheeler Street, Coburg Court, and Queen Court in King Street, Spitalfields
I have advised the Board to cause all the houses in these Courts to be
registered The result of which recommendation I expect will be that all
these Courts will shortly be provided with water by means of water waste
preventers
Sanitary Wore
The following return shows the amount of work done by the Sanitary
Inspectors during the quarter:—
Number of houses visited, as shown in the official returns 8335
Houses systematically visited and rooms measured to ascertain
their cubic capacity 729
Number of rooms found to be overcrowded, the space
being less than 300 cubic feet for each person, reckoning
two children for one adult 11
Number of cases of indecent occupation discovered 37
Preliminary Notices served 839