The sanitary condition of the City of London: being a letter to the Lord Ashley from the City Remembrancer, on the statements of the Sub-Committee of the Health of Towns Association; with the Sub-Committee's reply and Lord Ashley's letter [T. Beggs, secretary].

  • Health of Towns Association (London, England)
Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The sanitary condition of the City of London: being a letter to the Lord Ashley from the City Remembrancer, on the statements of the Sub-Committee of the Health of Towns Association; with the Sub-Committee's reply and Lord Ashley's letter [T. Beggs, secretary]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    have been superseded by the Crown, aud have been replaced by a con¬ solidated Commission, the members of which have no ostensible trading or professional connexions or interests to serve. What already has been the result? According to the statement of Lord Morpeth in his charge to the jury delivered on the 6th of April, 1848, the Westminster district has already gained by the consolidation carried out by the Government— ]. A large increase of valuable service with a diminution of expense: namely, an additional staff of officers, consisting of a chief clerk, a con¬ sulting engineer, a chief surveyor, and two assistant surveyors ; with a diminution of expense from 6000/. per annum for fragmentary and imperfect service to 4700/. for a consolidated and improved establishment, available, moreover, for all the other districts. 2. The greater efficiency of works which is dependent on systematic operations on a wide basis; in other words, the prevention of the worse than waste incurred by operations on a narrow basis—by feeble establish¬ ments acting on limited information. 3. A diminution of expense, which in some instances has already amounted to one-half, and in others to two-thirds, of the expense for¬ merly incurred for much less efficient works. The gains from consolidation then in this first instance in which it has been tried are—the increase of the force of the establishment, the increase of the efficiency of the works, and a reduction of the expense. Thus far experience has afforded satisfactory proof that the act of firmness by which the Crown superseded and consolidated all the Commissions under its jurisdiction has conferred a signal benefit on the public. Of the importance of this benefit the public is begin¬ ning to have a just appreciation, but its full extent and manifold rela¬ tions can be perceived only as time and service go on. Should Parliament exercise a similar act of firmness and justice in respect to the City Commission, the like benefits will result to the public ; the like “ increase of the force of the establishmentthe like u increase of the efficiency of the worksthe like “ reduction of expense.3’ On looking closely into the matter, it is found that these local bodies, composed for the most part of a small number of individuals belonging to certain classes, and to which the City Corporators appeal for aid and sympathy in opposition to the Public Health Bill (aid and sympathy which they will doubtless receive), are pervaded by such interests as above described, and utterly destitute of any alliance or community of interest with the lower classes, whose wellbeing is the most affected by their proceedings. The earnest opposition to improvement, the deter¬ mined resistance to the diminution of expense, are invariably found to come from some person who has, either directly or remotely, an interest in the maintenance of local office and patronage, or in the con¬ tinuation of abuse and waste. Often, on inquiry, it is found that the individual who takes the lead in opposition to the particular improvement advocated has been either directly or indirectly connected with the description of work or with the expenditure which the improvement would affect. Thus the name of the City Sewer and Paving Com¬ missioner to whom we have already alluded, and who was also a c