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In reply thereto I beg to make the following statements on the various
allegations contained in such petition:-
No. 1.—As regards the Shillings received/or Summonses.
Up to and including the rates made April, 1882, the amounts received
after deducting expenses for printing, &c„ were divided between the
Collectors and myself, in accordance with the minutes of the Overseers'
meeting.
From the rates, April, 1882, to February, 1887, the Collectors paid me
various sums which they had received on account of summonses, and I
paid thereout expenses of service, printing, &c.; but they have never
rendered me an account of the total that they received during that time,
and they now inform me that they cannot; and I have made search for
the vouchers of moneys that I paid, but cannot find them, so that no
account can be rendered for that period.
Since February, 1887, a sum of £219 9s. 11d. has been paid into the
London and Provincial Bank, to the account of the Overseers, on account
of moneys received from summonses (including a cheque of £55 3s. 2d.
from one of the Collectors—not £50 as stated in the petition), out of which
sum I have received nothing.
No. 2.—Clerical Assistance.
On the 19th February, 1878, the Vestry passed the following resolution:—
"That Mr. Charles James Foakes be appointed Assistant Overseer
"of the Parish of Fulham, under the provisions of the Act 59,
"Geo. III., c. 12, s 7, at a salary of £150 per annum, to discharge all
"the duties of the Overseers of the Poor, or appertaining to the office
"of Overseer of the Poor, under the Act 18 and 19 Victoria, cap. 120
"—except the collection of rates—and that he be empowered to
"obtain such assistance as he may require at his own cost, subject to
"the approval of the Vestry."
At that time the rateable value of the parish was £133,955, and the
number of houses 4,925; at the present time the rateable value is £386,151,
and the number of houses 12,428.
On the 17th February, 1881, the Overseers, in consequence of the
additional number of houses, appointed a clerk at a salary not exceeding
35s. a week, to be paid out of the local rates.
Additional assistance was also furnished as the work increased; but I
personally paid out of my salary the salary of the Junior Clerk up to
December, 1883.
I have made a request to the Law and Parliamentary Committee of the
Vestry to alter the terms of my appointment as Assistant Overseer in
consequence of the great increase in the Parish.
The increase of work in the parish applies equally to poor as to local
rates, and there has also been an increase of work in consequence of a
Library Rate having been made for the last 18 months.