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37
Another seizure of unwholesome meat (not in the process of
manufacture) was made by Mr. Boyce in June. Proceedings were
taken and on July 7th the defendant was fined £10 and £5 5s.
costs.
Continued attention in regard to this important matter of bad food
has been given by me and the inspectors.
During the summer the constant service of the East London Waterworks
Company was, as in 1895, interrupted, and for some weeks, in
consequence of continued drought, the consumers were
THE WATER
placed on short allowance. This made the third occasion
QUESTION. jn r g months in which the water supply of the district
was seriously interfered with. A renewed agitation was the means of
drawing the direct attention of the Local Government Board to the
subject, and the President, the Right Hon. Henry Chaplin, M. P., not
only received a deputation from local authorities, but also himself
visited the area of the Company. Mr. Chaplin could not see his way
to blame the Company but promised that the matter would be taken
into serious consideration by the Government, and after a lapse of
time the Government announced its intention of appointing a small
Royal Commission of experts to consider the whole question, particularly
in view of the water purchase Bills promoted by the London
County Council. At an early date legislation to remove some of the
disabilities of the consumer was also promised, but in the period
covered by this Report no action was taken.
In August I reported as follows to the Sanitary Committee :—
" For the emergency meeting you will recollect that I marked a map
of Bow indicating the positions were I thought standpipes were
made desirable; since then their number has been considerably
increased, and now the adventitious wants of the consumers may be
considered fairly well provided for.
" Having noticed on several occasions three or four weeks ago