MOTION FOR A PAPER. (Hansard, 11 February 1884)

THE EARL OF LONGFORD

, in rising to move for— A Return showing the charges that the several companies supplying water within the Metropolitan District are authorised by law to levy, quoting clauses of Acts of Parliament under which their rating powers are claimed; with sketch map, coloured to show the districts supplied by each company, said, that he had to ask for information which he could not find in a convenient 413 form elsewhere; it was not his object to make a case either against or for any of the water companies. He had no dispute of any kind with the water companies; but he simply appeared in the character of a perplexed householder. He had to pay Queen's taxes, parochial and other local rates, which for convenience of collection were lumped together; and these water rates upon three different valuations of the same premises, none of which corresponded with the rental. The facility with which Parliament had granted rating powers to various bodies and the cheerful growth of the rates levied under the superintendence of those bodies might be aptly illustrated by the case of the London School Board, who were expected to do their work upon a rate of 3d., but whose rate had already reached 8½d., and promised a brilliant future. He would only add that it would be desirable to many persons if the facts as to the rates which were charged by the water companies could be ascertained and made known throughout the Metropolis with certainty; and therefore, without pledging himself to proceed further in the matter or otherwise, he begged to move for the Return above-mentioned.