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11
In December a copy of the Objections was submitted to, approved,
and adopted by this Board, who caused its common seal to be
affixed thereto, and the same, together with a copy of the tabular
statement referred to, was forwarded to the Board of Trade, who
shortly afterwards informed this Board that, having regard to the
almost unanimous opposition of the representatives of the consumers,
they had decided not to give their approval to the Scheme.
One of the many duties imposed upon local authorities by the
Metropolis Local Management Act is that of providing latrines, or
public conveniences, and for a considerable time past this Board
has had in contemplation the erection of places of the kind which
should be available for both sexes, if a suitable site could be found
for them in contiguity to the Borough Market and the Borough
High Street. With that object in view, the Board caused a
survey to be made of the locality, when it was found that the only
site which could be made available for the purpose without undue
interference with the traffic was that occupied by the central lamp
column, at the east end of Southwark Street. The lamp column
in question being likewise a ventilating shaft communicating with
the subway in Southwark Street, the control of which is vested in
the Metropolitan Board of Works, the consent of that Board had
to be obtained before the column could be removed. Application
was made to them accordingly, but they refused to allow it to be
taken down; a fresh application was made to them for permission
to transfer the column some twenty-five feet in a north-easterly
direction towards the Borough, but they were still obdurate and
declined to allow it to be interfered with. Thereupon this Board
appointed a deputation consisting of Messrs. Thorn, Goodwin, and
Hay, who waited upon the Works Committee at Spring Gardens,
and urged them to reconsider the matter, on the grounds that the
column would be in a better position, and out of the way of the
intended conveniences. They then somewhat reluctantly consented,
on condition that this Board should bear the expense of the
removal of the column, restore its connections with the subway,
and re-erect it under the direction and to the satisfaction of the
Engineer of the Metropolitan Board. This has been done, and a
contract has been entered into with the Lion Iron Foundry Com-
B2
Public
Conveniences.