London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
St James's 1883
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St James's, Westminster]
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RATES
were made by the Vestry during the year as follows:—
| Amount in the Pound. | ||
|---|---|---|
| S. | d. | |
| Poor Rate (including, in addition to charges for the Relief of the Poor, Police, County, and Lunatic Asylums Rates, contributions to the Metropolitan Common Poor Fund, and other general charges) | 1 | 9 |
| General Rate for the lighting, maintenance, repairing and cleansing of streets, watering carriageways, administration expenses, precepts of the School Board for London, and proportion of the Bridge Expenses of the Metropolitan Board of Works | 1 | 6 |
| Sewers Rate, for the maintenance, repairing, and cleansing of sewers vested in the Vestry | 0 | 1 |
| Metropolitan Consolidated Rate, for meeting the precept of the Metropolitan Board of Works, so far as relates to the Fire Brigade, Main Drainage, Metropolitan Improvements, and general expenses of the Board | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 3 | 10 |
The total amount raised with the local rates for these two Boards
alone, during the ten years, is £262,410, being an average of
£26,241 per annum. These precepts, which in the year 1874-5
represented a rate of 6¾d. in the pound, had increased to a rate of
a fraction under 1s. 1d. in the pound in 1883-4, and in actual amount
have more than doubled in ten years. The precepts for the year
1884-5 show a further increase of £778 in the demand of the
Metropolitan Board of Works, and £4,253 in that of the School Board
for London.
The amount required by the last mentioned Board represents a
rate of nearly 8d. in the pound for the year, as compared with
about 6d. for 1883-4.
VESTRY PROPERTY.
Twenty-two years having elapsed since the erection of the
Vestry Hall and Offices, and a very small amount of painting and
repairs having been carried out in the meantime, the Vestry caused
the building, early in the year, to be thoroughly examined. It
was at once apparent that extensive works were necessary, and a
specification was accordingly prepared, and tenders invited for the
execution of the work. The tender of Messrs. M. & M. Fleming,
of Pall Mall Place, was accepted, and the contract satisfactorily
carried out by them. The cost of the work, which comprised
the cleaning of the external brick and stonework, and re-painting
and re-decorating the interior throughout, as well as certain
alterations to the offices, repairs to furniture, &c., amounted to
£577. The furniture in the Vestry Hall, Committee Room,