Widnes Examiner. — 1884-08-23 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

ADAMSON—seems to have been given after Sir GILBERT had retired from the room. It was the •other week only that he publicly said as to the Ship Canal that they "were • sticking it into his vitals ; " and now he Ands there are those amongst his friends who would have him commit political suicide to make way for the Chairman of the Ship Canal. We do not profess to be sympa. thetic towards Sir GILBERT, but we must say that it is too bad of his backers to endeavour to back him into the ditch. But the Tories of Warrington are eividently in a fix, and they don't know what to do to get out of it.  IN our last issue a correspondent (Mr. H. WHITHAAI) drew attention to the fact that, in consequence of what he regarded as the exactions of the Water Works Company, some soo workmen at Messrs. ItYLANDs were, so far as the works are concerned, deprived of drinking water during working hours. • We learn that there is the same difficulty at other firms in Warrington, employers having, for working purposes, rendered themselves independent of the Water Works Company by obtaining water from other sources. They have, of course, a perfect right to do the best they can for themselves in the purchase of water as of any other commodity; but we do not see why men who are toiling in heated workshops should be left in the lurch as to drinking water, because there is a difference between the buyer and seller as to the price of supply. Water is amongst the primary necessaries, and is as requisite as air and food for the preservation of life. In such weather as we have had, and are having, it is a cruelty to deprive—if for a few hours only—any person of the opportunity of obtaining it for the purpose of quenching thirst. It is true workmen may keep a supply by them by conveying it from home, but this, in the peculiar circumstances of the case, is a breach of the law. They ought not to be called upon to run any risk of being brought before a bench of magistrates, and it is to be hoped there will soon be an end of this anomalous condition of things. The Public Health Act, 1875, makes ample provision for dealing with a case of this kind. The clause is as follows : Where, on the report of a surveyor of a local authority  it appears to such authority that any house within their I district is without a proper supply of water, and that such • a supply of water can be furnished thereto at a cost not exceeding the water rate authorized by any local Act in force within the district, or where there is not any local Act so in force, at a cost not exceeding twopence a week, or at such other cost as the Local Government Board may, on the application of the local authority, determine under all the circumstances of the case to be reasonable, the local authority shall give notice in writing to the owner, re. guiring him, within a time therein specified, to obtain such supply, and to do all such works as may be necessary for that purpose. If such notice is not complied with within the time specified, the local authority may, if they think fit, de such works and obtain such supply, and for that purpose may enter into any contract with any water company supplying water within their district; and water rates may be made and levied on the premises by the authority or company which tarnishes the supply, and may be recovered as if the owner or occupier of the premises had demanded a supply of water and were willing to pay water rates for the same, and any expenses incurred by the local authority in doing any such works may be recovered in a summary manner from the owner of the premises, or may by order of the local authority be declared to be private improvement expenses. - We have only to add that the word " house "-is defined as including "schools, factories, and the other buildings in which more than twenty persons are employed at one time" to show that the law has simply to be set in motion by the Town Council, as the local authority, to ensure that there shall be an end of the grievance of which the working men of Wasrington at present so justly complain.