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9
The rates made in April, for the half-year to
Michaelmas, were based upon a rateable value of
£354,338, and those made in October, for the half
year to Lady-day,upon a rateable value of £356,092.
The amounts required by the Guardians of the
Holborn Union were ^24,135 in the first, and
£20,604 in the second half-year, total £44,739 (the
average for 14 years previous to the amalgamation
of Clerkenwell with the Holborn Union, when
Clerkenwell managed its own poor under the Local
Act, being£28,093, the highest year being £31,534.)
The Parish of Clerkenwell received from the
Common Poor Fund, £4,216 5s. 9d. and
£4,853 18s. Id. in the first and second half-years
respectively.
The precept of the Metropolitan Board of Works
for the year was for the sum of £11,099 18s. 10d.,
and that of the School Board for the sum of
£12,210 12s. 5d.
The Police precepts for the year amounted to
£7,299 5s. 4d.
It will thus be seen that of the £92,480 raised
during the year, the sum of £75,348 was required
by bodies beyond the control of the Vestry.
6,785 Summonses have been issued for the recovery
of the rates for the four quarters of the year,
representing an average of 1,696 per quarter. This
appears a large number, but it is quite evident that
a very large proportion of the persons summoned
are content to wait for the summons, treating it as
the " final demand" for payment, preferring to pay
the small fee of Is. charged for the summons and
hearing, and to hold their money, as a matter of
convenience, as long as possible, That this is
so is patent from the fact that only about five
per cent, of those summoned attend the hearing,
the bulk of the remainder paying without further
proceedings being necessary.