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the Act, that the cost of main roads should be borne by the County Fund,
but that the Local Authorities should do the work under the control, and
to the satisfaction of, the Central Authority. It is obvious that the
Fulham Road can be better superintended and more cheaply maintained
by the Vestry, which has the materials, etc., close at hand, than by a
Central Authority. This remark applies equally to the maintenance, etc.,
of the roadways over Bridges (such as Putney Bridge), which, up to the
present, have remained under the control of the Metropolitan Board of
Works.
The word "towards," in Sub-Section 2, seems to imply that the
Vestry might receive a less amount than the full cost of maintenance by
"claiming to maintain " main roads. As, however, before.any payment
is made, the Council have to be satisfied with the condition of the road,
the maintenance which is the common object of all, would be attained,
and it would not be equitable to make the Vestry losers, for claiming to
maintain the roads, while the Council succeeded in having the work
done in the most economical manner, and in the method least troublesome
to themselves. An offer to the Vestry of less: than the full cost of maintenance
would probably lead to a reference to the arbitrament of the
Local Government Board, who might take what I suggest is the equitable
view of the subject. This question is also one that should at once be
submitted to the Council, as their decision might influence the action of
the Vestry.
The words "reasonable improvement,"&c., in Sub-Section 2, clearly
will enable the County Council to subscribe the cost of paving the
Fulham Road with wood, a work which this Vestry is so anxious to have
carried out; and on the application to the Council to declare it a main
road, the Council might be informed of the wish of the Vestry in this
matter.
The next question is that of determining the amount of the contributions.
The most reliable and easiest method will be the keeping
of separate accounts, showing the amount of labour and material used
on the roads, and for the Council to make periodical payments to the
Vestry based on these accounts.
A question has been raised as to whether the terms "maintenance,"
etc., will cover the cost of cleansing, watering and other items. Under
Sub-Section 1, a road will wholly belong to the Council, and the cost of
all this work must therefore fall on the County Fund; identical terms
are used, viz.:—maintenance, repair, improvement and enlargement of
and other dealing with such Road,' in all the other Sub-Sections, (except
No. 10 referred to later on): it therefore seems reasonable to suppose
that the work of cleansing, etc., is intended to be included by the wording
of the Sub-Sections, especially as all Surveyors will maintain that such
work is essential to, and a necessary part of the maintenance.
The attention of the Vestry is particularly called to Sub-Section
10, which provides at the discretion of the Council for contributions for
maintenance and improvement of any highway or public footpath. This