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the Board, have afforded increased facilities for the raising of
money by Vestries and District Boards, of which the Vestry
of St. James have availed themselves to a small extent.
By the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts of 1875 and 1879,
the Vestry are empowered to purchase samples of food and
drugs for analysis, to appoint a Public Analyst, and to
prosecute vendors of adulterated articles. Proceedings
under these Acts during the past year are mentioned on
page 92.
The Vestry have also various powers under the Metropolitan
Paving Act, 57 George III., cap. 29, commonly
known as Michael Angelo Taylor's Act, the Nuisances
Removal Acts, the Metropolitan Building Acts, the Metropolis
Gas Act, the Sanitary Act, 1866, the Artizans' and Labourers'
Dwellings Act, 1868, better known as Torrens' Act, and other
statutes.
The Local Government Act, 1888, which superseded the
Metropolitan Board of Works and created the London County
Council, has incidentally varied the incidence of local taxation,
and taken a great step in unifying the amount of the
Poor Rate in the Metropolis.
There has been a growing tendency for some years to
include in the local rates various sums for Metropolitan purposes,
over the expenditure of which local authorities do not
possess the slightest control. Thus, since the establishment
of the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1855, the Vestry
have at different times been required by Parliament to
provide funds for—(a) Main Drainage; (b) Fire Brigade;
(c) Elementary Education; (d) Thames Bridges—purchase,
maintenance, and rebuilding; (e) Artizans' Dwellings, and