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11
Officers) Act, 1875, passed for the purposes of regulating and
controlling the charges of Returning Officers and their subordinates
at School Board Elections.
In November last, a circular-letter was received from the Vestry
of Chelsea urging that in view of a probable increase in the
contribution to the Metropolitan Board of Works on account of
Fire Brigade Expenses, that Board should be requested to include
in any Bill to be promoted by them in Parliament a clause empowering
them to levy a larger rate on the Eire Insurance Offices
to meet such increase, having regard to the fact that the Metropolitan
Board report year by year a large and increasing deficit
upon the Fire Brigade Working Account, and that the contribution
paid by the Fire Insurance Companies towards the expenses of
the Fire Brigade is very low in amount, being only £35 in the
£1,000,000 on the gross amount insured. This Board approved the
suggestion, and caused a letter to be addressed to the Metropolitan
Board expressive of its concurrence, and requesting that the
necessary steps might be taken to give effect thereto. The
Metropolitan Board have since introduced a Bill to enable them to
raise for the working expenses of the Fire Brigade a sum equal to
what would be produced by a penny in the pound on the rateable
value of property in the Metropolis, and providing that the Fire
Insurance Companies' contribution shall be raised from £35 to
£40 in the £1,000,000. The proposal, however, is strongly opposed
by the Companies, and the Metropolitan Board have lately reported,
that owing to the manner in which the Bill, ever since its introduction,
has been persistently blocked by Members of the House
of Commons, who object to the contributions of the Companies
being increased, there has been no opportunity of obtaining from
it an expression of opinion whether the Bill is one that should be
read a second time, and the Dissolution has entirely closed the
prospects of the Bill for the present.
Fire Brigade
Expenses.
In December last, a letter was received from the Town Clerk of
the City of London forwarding copy of a Report by a Special
Committee of the Court of Common Council on a scheme prepared
by them for the Municipal Government of the Metropolis, and
requesting to be furnished with an expression of opinion on the
C
Government of
the Metropolis