Volume 2

First-[second] report of the Royal Sanitary Commission.

  • Great Britain. Royal Sanitary Commission
Date:
1869-1874
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: First-[second] report of the Royal Sanitary Commission. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    247/418 (page 227)
    Action of the Board. Works Expenditure. Audit. Rates. Loans. Suggestions, 39-45. 46-4:8, 56, 60, 62, 63. 52-54, 56k. 55, 58-61. 51, 64. weight in the country and not be considered so open to political influences as the Home De- partment. buch an authority might lay down or sanction subordinate regulations for the locality after hearing parties which might supersede the necessity of making byelaws. Little additional expense to the public would be occasioned by such supreme jurisdiction. It appears that as much or more money is now spent on the medical and legal staff of the Privy Council and Local Government Act Oflice as was paid to the salaried members of the General Board of Health. Highways.—In districts like this where the rateable value of the land bears a large proportion to that of the houses; but where from close house building in parts there must be sewers and town requisites the burden of highway repair presses too heavily on house property. On appeal from Local B6ard some control over the expenditure of trustees of turnpike roads ought to be vested in some competent authority. The burden of these roads is immense on the Local Board. We contribute to one here, the trustees of which set at nought the express directions of the Act, which if carried out would save outlay on the roads. Buildings and Streets.—Building powers are not sufficient to prevent building on existing narrow streets, alleys, and footpaths, or altering for the worse, and crowding with buildings the spaces about existing houses. Power is also required to prevent projections from houses overlianging streets, &c. Consolidation of Statutes.—No doubt a well-considered consideration of the laws of health would be beneficial. They are some of them the oirspring of the principle of centralization and some of the opposite principle of provincialism. The public interest would be best promoted by these forces having respectively proper well-defined influences. The effect of the law is much weakened by the idea that one chapter flows from one i)rinciple and another from the opposite principle, and people speculate upon the probability of alteration by one principle in future legislation overreaching the other. The authority of control would probably best bring about a reduction of the laws to consistency. Powers as to buildings as under Act. iNo overcrowding. No measures needed. Bi/elaws made under Act of 1858, and the incorporated Acts, define duties of clerk, &c. No difficulty in enforcing (hem. (Copy sent.) Nuisance removal powers are sufficient. No private works attempted. | No opposition to the execution of works. ] Expenditure. All money raised has been expended in roads and sewers. £ s. d. Salaries of officers - - 12 0 0 Law charges - - - 5 5 0 Accounts audited by district auditor, who resides at Manchester, and is paid 51. Ss. per annum. The board consider this payment an overcharge, the auditing of the accounts being a couple of hours work only. No surcharges. ■Two Rates are levied. Local Rates. £ s. d. 1866, at Is. - 34S 0 0 1867, „ - 348 0 0 1868, „ - 348 0 0 General District Rate. £ s. d. Id. - - - 78 0 0 Gas is supplied by the Cros- ton Gaslight Company. • No difficulty in levying. No receipts for pri- vate ^vorks. Amount borrowed, ?til. The board can- not suggest any impro\ emcnt, except having the accounts audited for a much [smaller] amount per an- num. S'o byelaws as to buildings have been adopted. No measures taken to prevent over- ) crowding. Byelaws can be made under L. G. Act: none made, as to duties of clerk, &c. [ Qu,: any made at all.^ Nuisance removal powers are sufficient. No defects in respect of private improve- ment works. No extensive works have been under- taken. Expenditure, 3 years. Salaries - - . £75. Accounts audited by Poor Law auditor, who resides 14 miles oiV, and receives 3/. 3s. per annum. No surcharges. Two rates are made. General District Rate £352. Highway rate, (Amount not given). No difficulty in levying. No receipts for private works. Borrowing powers as under the Acts. Amount borrowed, NIL. No defects in the existing laws ; existing laws brought under notice. t Powers as to buildings as under the Act, 1 but refer only to buildings constructed 1 after a certain date. No overcrowding from the operation of byelaws; measures have been taken to 1 (irevent this. j Byelaws have been made under L. G. ! Acts; do not regulate duties of clerk, SiC. Some recently made, and not yet confirmed by Secretary of State. (Copy sent.) Nuisance removal powers are sufficient. No de fects in respect of private improve- ment works. Sanitary condition of population has been improved. No opposition to the execution of works. Expenditure, 3 years. £ s. d. Sewers (1866) - - - 4 18 5 „ (1867) - - - 121 16 6 „ (1868) - - - 124 IS 2 Salaries (in each year) - 130 0 0 Repayments; Principal (in each year) - 80 0 0 Interest ^1866) - - - 88 10 0 „ (1867) - - - 84 1 4 „ (1868) - - - 81 1 9 Accounts audited by Poor Law auditor, who resides about 16 miles from district, and is paid il. 4s. per annum. No surcharges. General District Rates. (Only rate levied.) £ s. d. 1866, at 2.V. - 1,018 9 0 1867, at Is. 8c?. 865 11 6';'f 1868, at 2s. - 1,033 11 2^ Poor Rates. £ s. d. 1866 - - 1,561 7 li;, i 1867 - - 1,670 4 11' 1868 - - 1,682 11,3 At Gd. and 5(1. in the 1/. al- ternate quarters. No difficulty in levying. No receipts for pri- vate works. The only money bor- rowed by the Daw- lish Local Board has been 2,000/., at 5 per cent., from a private person, for the jjurchase of the Dawlish Lawn as a public pleasure ground ; re))uyable in 25 years. Amount repaid, 400/. No sinking fund. No defects in the existing laws brought under notice.