MR. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether he has directed any further inquiry to be held in consequence of the complaints made to him from Bermondsey that, although there was a temporary improvement in the supply of Water after the former complaint and the inquiry to which it led—
The supply has been again gradually decreasing in some parts of the district, and persons have again been going from house to house begging Water?In addition to facts mentioned in the Question, he might state that he held in his hand an epitome of 26 letters, being some of the letters received by the Bermondsey Committee, dated from July 1 to July 5, 1872, and all describing a continued dearth of water. Several gave details of the sufferings of wife or children in consequence, and some of the writers mentioned that they had recourse to horse-troughs for water. One employed a man to fetch water from the Thames, and several mentioned that the drains were out of order and needed 956 flushing, and that they were emitting frightful smells. ["Order, order!"]
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE, in reply, said, that there were no legal means which he would not be most anxious to use to prevent the evils referred to, which had arisen from the very imperfect power of a particular company to secure a sufficient supply for the district in a time of emergency; whatever could be done would be done; but neither by law, nor from the nature of the case, could the Board of Trade apply an immediate remedy. The Water Examiner of the Board of Trade had communicated with the Vauxhall Company, and had recommended them to put up stand-pipes in the streets. The Company's engineer had acted on that suggestion, and several stand-pipes had been put up. If water should not be found in the stand-pipes, the blame could not be cast on the inhabitants of houses on account of defective fittings, but would entirely fall on the water company. On the 6th instant, the Water Examiner stated that there was generally a sufficient supply.