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necessitating an inquest the Coroner has tor some time past
taken to ordering the removal of the body in nearly all
instances to the mortuary at Kingston, and then holding
the inquest in that town. This is a subject of very considerable
importance to relatives, witnesses, jury, and
medical men, as the distance—one to two miles or more—
and the bringing back of the body in many cases, involves
expense and much waste of time. But in addition to this
the Infectious Disease [Prevention] Act, 1890, adopted by
your Board requires the removal of bodies under certain
circumstances to a mortuary. I do not know what right
or powers, if any, we have of access to the Kingston
mortuary for the purposes of the Act, i.e. those dying of
infectious diseases, but I think the matter should be arranged
for in some more suitable way than at present, and
better and more convenient premises provided in our own
district than those we have to put up with at present.
Southborough has now been incorporated with Surbiton,
and if Hook and Tolworth are added this subject certainly
cannot be overlooked.
General Sanitary
Work.
The sanitary inspector in his report has referred to
most matters of interest under this heading, and I have
only to add that the district has been well and carefully
looked after. The amount of work done has largely increased,
especially the visits and correspondence. The
matter of all absorbing importance, however, has been of
course the attempt of our venerable neighbour to deprive
us of our independence and liberty of progress. The result
of the Local Government Board Enquiry is not at the time
of writing this yet known, and I am not going to produce
figures or imagine facts by way of argument or appeal
against the possible but improbable adverse verdict; but
as a sanitarian, I maintain there are absolutely no advantages
of any description whatever to be gained—in a
sanitary sense—by amalgamation with Kingston. The
possibilities of successful sanitary administration are
mainly dependent on the more or less enlightened views