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167
of a Report by their Medical Officer of Health on the
discontinuance of the water supply to a number of dwellings
in a mews in consequence of non-payment of the water
rental, and suggesting that the power of the Water
Companies to cut off the water should be repealed or
modified.
On taking the matter into consideration, it appeared to the
Vestry that the case at Kensington, by which much inconvenience
was caused to the tenants in consequence of the
landlord refusing to pay the amount claimed by the company,
or to exercise his right of obtaining a settlement of the
dispute by a summons in the Police Court, might best be met
by legally empowering tenants, under such circumstances, to
satisfy the demand for rates, and deduct the amount so paid
from rent due or becoming due. The Vestry accordingly
asked the Local Government Board to introduce legislation
with this object, and to make such legislation apply also to
parochial and other rates.
SALE OF FOOD, &c., ACTS.
The result of the analysis of articles of common use under
the provisions of these Acts during the past year points to
the necessity of the constant vigilance of the Vestry's
officers. Particular attention has been paid to milk sold
among the poorer parishioners, and it is disappointing to find
that numerous instances occurred where so called milk contained
more than one-fourth its bulk of water, the percentage
in one case being as high as 35. The importance ot
maintaining a good standard of quality in an article ot
such universal consumption is self evident, especially in the
case of the children of the poor, who, to a far greater
degree than those of the better-to-do, cannot afford to lose