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57
An examination of the above account shows that with the
exception of the purchase of the five horses for £350, the gross
expenditure is £50 lower than for the preceding year, and the
Committee deem this satisfactory as showing that the expenditure
over which the Vestry has control is not increasing. On the
other hand, the continued fall in the price received for ashes,
and the reduced amount received for street sweepings, has had
the effect of increasing the net expenditure by about £174.
Adding the cost of the horses, £350, an increase of £524 is
shown over last year's cost. The Committee would, however,
again compare the result with the contracting system as still
carried out in Holborn. The area of that district is 167 acres,
with between 3,000 and 4,000 inhabited houses. The contract
for the work for that district was, for the year under review,
about £6,300. Clerkenwell has an area of 380 acres, with
between 7,000 and 8,000 inhabited houses, and the cost was
£6,485 (adding £1,443 for sweepers' wages, to the net amount
shown above); this comparison appearing to show that if
Clerkenwell were still adhering to the old system of contracts,
the cost would be many hundreds, if not some thousands, of
pounds greater than it is at present.