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deferred until vacancies occur by the severance of the
ecclesiastical portion from the general property of the Trust
Fund, which it is anticipated will happen at no distant date.
The Commissioners, however, have not modified their scheme
in other respects, consequently little latitude will be allowed
the new Governing Body in determining questions of
principle, which, in the opinion of the Vestry, could have
been better dealt with by a representative body than the
Commissioners.
FIRE PREVENTION.
The communication from the Metropolitan Board of
Works, to which reference was made in the last Annual
Report, respecting the representations made by, the Vestry
as to the adoption of certain measures by legislation or
otherwise, for the prevention of fires, was carefully considered,
together with other communications on the same
subject, and the following Report of a Committee was
adopted by the Vestry on the 11th April:—
Your Committee having carefully considered the letter from the Metropolitan
Board of Works relative to the Report of this Joint Committee
on the subject of Fire Prevention, and communications from various
local authorities in the Metropolis on the same subject, beg to report
thereon as follows:—
1. The letter from the Metropolitan Board of Works covers much of
the ground occupied by the Report of your Committee, but there
are only four points which specially appear to require attention.
These are (1) an increase in the strength of the Metropolitan Fire
Brigade; (2) the desirability of entrusting the police with duplicate
keys of the fire plugs; (3) the alteration and removal of
obstructive posts in public streets, and (4) enquiring into the
cause of fires, with a view to the discovery of incendiarism.
2. As regards the suggested increase in the effective strength of the
Fire Brigade, especially in its application to the saving of life,
your Committee observe that there appears to be a general
consensus of opinion that some increase is necessary. It would