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and maintenance, but the Vestry felt bound to decline, as, in
their opinion, the ground was too small to give a benefit to the
ratepayers at all commensurate with the probable cost of future
care and maintenance.
The same Association also made liberal offers to contribute to
the cost of planting trees in the principal roads in the Hamlet,
if the Vestry would afterwards maintain them, but, as the
Vestry has, for some years, tried the experiment of growing
trees by the side of the Mile End-road with but indifferent
success, the Vestry felt bound reluctantly to decline the offers.
Re-numbering
of
Streets.
Over head
Wires.
The north side of Bow Common-lane has been re-numbered
during the year.
The question of the right of the Vestries and District Boards
of London to deal with overhead wires has been the subject of,
judicial decision, and it was held that the Vestries and District
Boards have not such a property in streets as to entitle them to
maintain an action for an injunction against the erection of
wires across a street, if the wire be at such a height as not to
cause appreciable danger to the public or to the traffic.
In the judgments, however, the Judges intimated that if a
danger really existed, in all probability the Vestry would be
right in taking action.
The decision is quite in accordance with the advice which the
Clerk to the Vestry gave to them.
Sanitary
In view of the possible appearance of cholera in the autumn
of last year, the Vestry passed special resolutions empowering
the Sanitary Committee to take measures to deal with it, in case
the necessity arose, but the Vestry are pleased to say that it
became unnecessary for them to do so.
Jobbing
Sewers.
On the expiration of the jobbing sewers contract, tenders
were invited, and that of Mr. W. Finch accepted.
Artizans
and
Laborers'
Dwellings
Act, 1868.
The Vestry were compelled to take proceedings under the
Artizans' and Laborers' Dwellings Act, 1868, in respect of Nos.
1 to 17 (odd numbers) and 2 to 26 (even numbers), Frimleystreet.
Under the existing law, an owner can, in certain cases,
compel the Vestry to purchase the property in respect of which
notice has been given, and this has proved a great drawback in
the working of the Act.
I he owner of the houses in Frimley-street, however, undertook
to execute all necessary works:
Overcrowding.
1 he Vestry's officers have had considerable difficulty in
dealing with the evil of overcrowding, as, in consequence of the
want of employment, there has been increased tendency among
the working classes to gather together as much as possible to
save rents.
Regulations
under the
Sanitary
Acts.
The Vestry having determined to put in force the powers
given by the Sanitary Acts, enabling them to make regulations
for houses let in lodgings or occupied by members of more than
one family, most carefully considered regulations submitted to
them, and having approved of them, directed them to be sent
for confumation by the Local Government Board, as provided
by the Act. That Board made numerous alterations, but, after