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of a receptacle containing an ambulance in the Blackfriars
Road, at the intersection of that thoroughfare by Stamford
Street. The other two stations available for the district are at
Guy's Hospital and at the Fire Bridge Head Quarters, Soth-
wark Bridge Road.
In February, the attention of the Board was called to the
objectionable nature of several of the provisions of the National
and of the New Telephone Companies' Bills in Parliament
powers being sought to enable the Companies (inter alia) to open
and break up tin roads, and place and maintain telephone wires
thereunder, or to place them over any public road. About the
same time a circular-letter was received from the Vestry of
St. Margaret and St. Johns, Westminster, inviting the Board
to appoint representatives to attend a proposed Conference, at
the Town Hall, Westminster, on the 26th February, to consider
the Bills. The Board accepted the invitation, and
appointed Messrs. Carter, Coles and Grattan, as its representatives.
The Conference assembled on the day appointed, and
the following resolutions were passed:—
"That this Conference of Representatives of Metropolitan Vestries
is of opinion that concerted action should be taken to watch and
protect the interests of such authorities with reference to the
Hills introduced in the present session of Parliament by the
National 'IVlophoM Company, Limited, and the New Telephone
Company, Limited.
"That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the various local
authorities, and that they be asked to appoint a representative
to act upon a Committee which shall consider how the concerted
action run be rendered most effective; and that it be suggested
tn.it the repreventative should be authorised to co-operate in
giving effect to the proposed opposition to the Bills."
Telephone
Bills.
In accordance with the request contained in the second
resolution, the Board appointed Mr. Coles as its representative,
with the object of opposing the Bills, but the first-named
—the National—was suspended after the first reading on the
16th Februarv. and the other Bill has been withdrawn.
In March, a circular-letter was received from the Vestry
of St. George's, Hanover Square, forwarding copy of a
resolution passed by them, as follows: —
"That the ground-rent ought to be taxed as well as the building-rent,
and that the revenue derived from this source should be devoted
to the relief of local rates."
Ground
Rents.
The Board expressed its concurrence with the resolution.
In April, on the motion of Mr. Grattan, the following
resolution was passed:—
"That, in all future contracts accepted or work given out by the
Board, the firms selected be required to satisfy the Board that
tliev are paving the union rate, or such wages as are general y
accepted as current in the trade for competent workmen, and
that all men in the employ of the Board be so paid.
Rate of
Wages.