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47
"Boards, until the Council had effectually removed the cause
"of the wide-spread complaint arising from the defects of
"the main drainage system under their control."
Maintenance
of
Main Roads.
A question of some importance to local
authorities with regard to the maintenance of
roads, arose upon the passing of the Local Government
Act of 1888.
Prior to the passing of the Act, the Highways and Locomotives
Amendment Act of 1878 (41 and 42 Vic., cap. 77)
was specially excluded by section 2 from operation in the
metropolis; but section 41 of the new Act removed this
exemption, so that by section 15 of the Highways Act, the
Vestries and District Boards of the metropolis as "high"way
authorities" were enabled to make application to the
London County Council as the "county authority" of that
Act, for an order declaring any thoroughfare to be a "main
"road" by reason of its "being a medium of communica"tion
between great towns or a thoroughfare to a railway
"station, or otherwise." Upon such an application the
Council would be required by sub-section 1 of section 11
of the Local Government Act to contribute towards
the cost of maintaining any such thoroughfares, although
by sub-section 2 of the same section, the local
authority could "retain the powers and duties of main"taining
and repairing the roads within its district." The
Vestry made the necessary application, the principal streets
in the parish being scheduled, and considerable correspondence
between the Vestry and the local Councillors took
place upon the subject. However, in an exhaustive report
prepared by the Highways Committee of the London
County Council, the opinion was expressed that the provisions
of the Local Government Act and the Highways and
Locomotives Act referred to were totally inapplicable to the
thoroughfares in the County of London, having regard to
the fact that with so many railway stations in London,