The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-13 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

The usual weekly meeting of the members of
the board took place yesterday ; Sir Jolts THWAITEB,
the chairman, presided.
A deputation attended on the board from the District
Board of Works for Poplar, to present *memorial from the
inhabitants of that district, praying for the appropriation
of a site of land for the purposes of health and recreation.
The memorial set forth that at the early part of this
year a very favourableopportunitypresented itself of open-
ing a negotiation with the Secretary of State for India for
the purchase of the buildings and grounds situate us the
East India Dock-road, and for many years used as alms-
booms for the officers of the Hon. East India Company.
The memorialists had been strongly urged by the trustees
of Poplar. and by • generallye:preseed. wish of the inhabi-
tants, embodied in a memorial with upwards of 3,000
signatures, obtained at a short notice, and that the nego-
Uations were satisfactorily arranged in the agreement to '
purchase the ground for the use of the inhabitants for the
of being laid out and maintained as an open space.
grePe ground is situate on the south side of the East India
Dock-road, and has a frontage in the High-street, Poplar,
containing by admeasurement three and a half acres, and
is agreed to be sold to the memorialists for the sum of
10,5001. The following is the estimate furnished by their
surveyor of the cost of purchasing and laying out the
ground, vit. :—Purchase money, 10,500/. • enclosing
the ground, 2,300/. ; laying out, 2501. • law Lanes, 501.;
total, 13,0001. Deduct for old materials to be sold by
auction, 1,0001., leaving a sum of 12,1001. to be provided.
It also set forth that the nearest open space is the Vic-
toria-park, which is a distance of nearly three miles from
I Poplar, and the memorialists were most 11111.1011/ to do all
in their power towards the health of the district, as it had
suffered greatly lately from epidemic,. It concluded by
6 asking the board to grant such a sum of money towards the
1 cost of the purchase of the land as might be deemed fair
and equitable.
After some discussion, in which the project was most I
favourably received by the board, it was unanimously re-
ferred to the Works Committee for consideration and re-
Port-
Mr. FREEMAN rose and moved the resolution of which
he had given notice :—" To refer the question of the water
supply of the metropolis to the Works and General Purpose,
Committee, with an instruction to report on the present
state of the law as regards • constant supply to each house
contained in the several companies and metropolitan acts,
on the system of constant supply now in operation in
Glasgow, Nottingham, and other towns, and to bring up
suggestions for such an amendment of the law, and im-
provement of the existing machinery of distribution as
would ensure a constant supply of water to every house
within the jurisdiction of the board." In support of his
motion he said he was sure he should obtain a unanimous
opinion from the board that the water supply of the
metropolis was lamentably bad, and deficient in quantity
and quality. In poor neighbourhoods, some of which he
had recently visited, he found that the receptacles
for the storage of water were of the most shocking
character. They consisted of rotten tubs of all
sizes, some of which were mended in the most
objectionable manner, and with the most objectionable
substances. lie had found the bottoms of these water-
tubs stuffed round with putty, white lead, and other dele-
terious articles, which could not fail to be injurious to the
health of those who had to drink the water contained in
such vessels. He had put the question to some of the
, inhabitants of houses where he found these improper
, receptacles why they did not speak to their landlords,
and ask them to supply them with proper tubs to hold the
water, and he had been met with one common answer.
He was told that there was such a demand for houses
that the landlord would refuse to comply with the request,
and they would be told that if they did not like the
houses there were plenty of other persons ready to take
them. He did not then propose to discuss the various
schemes which were proposed for the improvement of
the water supply, but to refer the whole subject to a com-
mittee, to consider what are the mechanical means for
a supply of water, and then if there was any legislation
upon the subject in the coming session of parliament the
board could then take part in it, and would be prepared to
give the fullest information.
Mr. WesrEn•ros seconded the motion.
Mr. HEALEY said the water companies were only re-
quired to give the public a proper supply of water, but the
vessels required for its storage must be furnished by the
landlords themselves.
Mr. Le Bistros thought the motion of Mr. Freeman was
not so large in its scope as it ought to be, and in no hostile
spirit he should move as an amendment, " That the ques-
tion of the water supply of the metropolis be referred to
the Works and General Purposes Committee, to report
thereon,
with such suggestions as they may deem ad-
visable for the purpose of obtaining an increased supply
and of a better quality."
Mr. ilowas seconded the amendment.
Ms. Farr.,l•ll, iu icplyt a.ti,l hi. uuly übjeul. Va, to (At-
tain an inquiry, and if it could be better arrived at by Mr.
Le Breton's amendment, he was willing to withdraw his
motion.
The amendment was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. RocHE moved that no member of the board shall be
eligible to be elected for more than two successive years as
vice-chairman of the same committee.
The motion having been seconded, after a short discus-
sion, was carried, after which the board adjourned.