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exempted the Water Companies from penalties where the
failure of the supply of water was due to frost, would not
affect the provisions he had referred to. If, therefore
complaint was made to him by 20 householders in any
district in London he would be prepared to entertain it,
subject to the opinion of Law Officers."
The Vestry had under their consideration the question
of petitioning the Local Government Board to hold an
inquiry into the cause of the failure of the supply, but were
unable to obtain sufficient evidence to justify them in taking
this course.
Numerous complaints were received of the inadequate
supply of stand-pipes provided by the Companies for the
use of consumers whose supply had failed owing to the frost,
and also of the insufficient time that the stand-pipes were
available for use, and letters were written to the Companies
asking them to arrange for as many stand-pipes as possible,
to be available the whole day, as the hardship to the ratepavers
generallv, and especially to the poor, who had not
sufficient receptacles for storing the water, was very great.
The Companies expressed their wish to do everything in
their power to lessen the inconvenience, and appear to have
extended the time that the stand-pipes were available, and
also supplemented them by the use of water-carts which
they hired from the Vestry.
Quality of the Water.
A sample of water taken from the main of the West
Middlesex Company in January was pronounced by the
Public Analyst, Mr. Clayton, "to be of inferior quality, and
the evidence of organic contamination to be too distinct to
allow him to view the sample as desirable for dietetic use.
With this exception the other samples taken were found to
be suitable for drinking purposes.
Water cut off by the Water Companies.
During the year notices under Sec. 49 of the Public
Health Act were given by the Companies in respect of 740