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72
SCHOOL BOARD FOR LONDON.
The triennial election of the School Board for London, in
November last, naturally attracted some attention from various
rating authorities, in consequence of those authorities being required
to provide from the local rates, funds to meet the increasing
expenditure of the Board.
Communications were received from several local authorities on
the subject, but as members of the Board are elected by the Ratepayers,
who are afforded opportunities of deciding between the
various candidates, the Vestry did not feel called upon to take any
action in the matter. With regard to a suggestion by the elected
Vestry of Streatham, that the School Board should make and
collect its own rate, the Vestry dissented from the proposal, inasmuch
as it is not apparent what benefit the Ratepayers would
derive from the adoption of such a course, while it is clear that the
cost of collection would be enormously increased by duplicating the
staff, books, notices, etc. In order to relieve local authorities from
the odium of levying heavy rates, the Vestry suggested to the
Streatham Vestry that the attention of the Ratepayers might be
called by the rating authorities to the amounts raised for the School
Board and other central authorities, over whose expenditure the
local authorities do not possess any control, although for
economical reasons these amounts are included in the local rates.
At the close of the year the Vestry had under consideration the
desirability of convening a Conference of Vestries and District
Boards to discuss the expediency of applying to Parliments to limit
the rating powers of the Board.
A statement of the amount called for by the Board annually
during the past ten years is given on page 53.
EXPENDITURE OF METROPOLITAN BOARD OF
WORKS.
The following resolution was passed by the Vestry, on the 22nd
March, 1883, and a copy thereof ordered to be forwarded to every