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supply to the London County Council. For this purpose it is proposed
by the Bill (clause 30) to create a Trust of 39 members, but to reserve
to the London County Council (clause 54) power by resolution to
undertake the duties imposed by the Bill on the Trust, andthus render
the creation of the Trust unnecessary. It is not anticipated that the
Bill will pass in this form, but the question is thus deliberately raised
in an alternative form, so that Parliament, in its wisdom, may select
either a Special Trust, or the London County Council as the Authority
to carry the Act into execution.
Constitution of the Trust.—The Trust, as proposed by the Bill
(clause 31), will be directly elected by the County Electors within the
Metropolitan Water Area, i.e., by the persons entitled to vote in the
election of members of the County Councils. The number of members
of the Water Trust will be one-half the number of members elected in
the same area to represent the constituencies in the House of Commons.
There appear to be 77 Parliamentary Boroughs and other Electoral
Divisions within the area, returning 78 members to Parliament, the
City of London electing two members, and the other Boroughs and
Divisions one each. The Water Trust will therefore consist of 39
members, one elected by the City of London, and one by each combination
of two parliamentary boroughs or divisions, the combination to
be arranged by the Local Government Board. The election is
to be held subject to the rules regulating the election of members of the
County Council, subject to such modifications (if any) as may be
necessary to give effect to the Act, such modifications to be made by the
Local Government Board. The first election is to be held on some day
in February, 1892, to be appointed by the Local Government Board, and
subsequent elections are to be held on the same day as the election of
County Councils, i.e., November 1st.
The chairman and two vice-chairmen will be salaried, but it is not
proposed to pay the other members of the Trust. Provision is made
for filling up casual vacancies, and rules are laid down in the 7th
schedule regulating meetings of the Trust. Members will be disqualified
from serving if they hold any office or place of profit under he Trust
(other than that of chairman or vice-chairman), or participate in the
profits of any work done by order of the Trust, or are concerned in or
participate in the profits of any contract entered into by the Trust
(clause 33).