Part 112

The surveyors and clerks of works are mostly limited as to their labours to the several districts; but the superior officers are employed in all parts, and so, if necessary, are the subordinate officers when the work requires an extra staff.

According to the Returns, the following functionaries appear to be connected with the undermentioned districts:--

_Fulham, Hammersmith, Counter’s Creek, and Ranelagh._ 1 Surveyor. 3 Clerks of the Works. 1 Inspector of Flushing.

_Eastern and Western Divisions of Westminster and Regent-street._ 1 Surveyor, who has also the Holborn division to attend to. 2 Clerks of the Works. 6 Flap and Sluice keepers.

_Holborn._ 2 Clerks of the Works. 1 Inspector of Flushing.

_Finsbury._ 1 Clerk of the Works. 1 Inspector of Flushing.

_Tower Hamlets, and Poplar and Blackwall._ 1 Surveyor, who has also the Finsbury division included in his district. 2 Clerks of the Works. 2 Inspectors of Flushing.

_South of the Thames. Western Districts._ 1 Surveyor. 2 Clerks of the Works. 2 Inspectors of Flushing.

_Eastern Districts._ 1 Surveyor. 2 Clerks of the Works. 2 Inspectors of Flushing.

What may be called the working staff of the Metropolitan Commissioners consists of the following functionaries, receiving the following salaries:--

£ _s._ Chairman, with a yearly salary of 1,000 0

Secretary, with a yearly salary of (besides an allowance of £100, in lieu of apartments) 800 0 Clerk of minutes 350 0 Two clerks of do., (each with a salary of £150) 300 0 One do., with a salary of 120 0 One do. do. 105 0 One do. do. 95 0 One do. do. 90 0

Accountant do. 350 0 Accountant’s clerk do. 150 0 Do do. 80 0 Clerk of surveyors’ and contractors’ accounts 200 0 Do. do. 125 0 Do. do. 110 0

Clerk of rates 250 0 Another do. 180 0 Do. do. 110 0 Do. do. 90 0

Engineer 1,000 0 For travelling expenses 200 0 Surveyor for Fulham and Hammersmith, Counter’s Creek, and Ranelagh districts 350 0 Clerk of works (Hammersmith) 150 0 Do. (Counter’s Creek) 150 0 Do. (Ranelagh) 150 0 Inspector of flushing 80 0

Surveyor of eastern and western divisions of Westminster, and of Regent-st. and Holborn divisions 300 0 Two clerks of works (eastern and western and Regent-street), with a salary of £300 each 600 0 Two do. (Holborn), with a salary of £150 each 300 0 Inspector of flushing 80 0 Surveyor of Finsbury, Tower Hamlets, and Poplar and Blackwall 300 0 Clerk of works (Finsbury) 150 0 Inspector of flushing 80 0 Two clerks of works (Tower Hamlets, and Poplar and Blackwall), with a salary of £150 each 300 0 Two inspectors of flushings with a salary of £80 each 160 0 One marsh bailiff 65 0 Surveyor of the western districts south of the Thames 300 0 Do., eastern do. 250 0 Clerk of works (eastern portion) 164 0 Two inspectors of flushing, £80 each 160 0 One wallreeve 22 8 Clerk of works (western portion) 164 0 Do. do. 150 0 Two inspectors of flushing, with a salary of £80 each 160 0

Two engineer’s clerks, with a salary of £150 each 300 0 One do. 150 0 One do. 100 0 One do. 80 0

One by-law clerk 150 0 Twenty-two flap and sluice keepers 892 12

Surveyor (of the surveying and drawing staff) 250 0 Drawing clerk 150 0 Two do., with a salary of £130 each 260 0 Five do., with a salary of £105 each 525 0 One do. 50 0 Six surveyors, with a salary of £100 each 600 0 Six chainmen, 18_s._ a week each 280 0

Office-keeper and crier (general service) 120 0 Bailiff, &c. 100 0 Strong-room keeper 80 0 One messenger 70 0 Two do., £40 each 80 0 Three errand-boys, £32 each 96 0 Housekeeper 150 0 --------- Yearly total £13,874 0

This is called a “reduced” staff, and the reduction of salaries is certainly very considerable.

If we consider the yearly emoluments of tradesmen in businesses requiring no great extent of education or general intelligence, the salaries of the surveyors, clerk of the works, &c., must appear very far from extravagant; and when we consider their responsibility and what may be called their removability, some of the salaries may be pronounced mean; for I think it must be generally admitted by all, except the narrow-minded, who look merely at the immediate outlay as the be-all and the end-all of every expenditure, that if the surveyors, clerks of works, inspectors of flushing, &c., be the best men who could be procured (as they ought to be), or at any rate be thorough masters of their craft, they are rather underpaid than overpaid.

The above statement may be analysed in the following manner:--

_£ s._ _£_

Chairman 1,000 Secretary and 7 clerks 1860 0 Accountant and 5 clerks 1015 0 Clerk of rates and 3 clerks 630 0 ------- 3,505 Engineer and 5 clerks 1830 0 7 surveyors, of surveying and drawing staff, with 6 chainmen and 9 drawing clerks 2125 0 5 district surveyors 1500 0 12 clerks of works 2278 0 9 inspectors of flushing 720 0 22 flap and sluice keepers 892 12 Bailiff, marsh-bailiff, and wallreeve 187 8 ------- 9,533 Office keeper, strong-room keeper, and housekeeper 350 0 3 messengers and 3 errand-boys 246 0 ------ 596 ------ £14,634

The cost of rent, taxes, stationery, and office incidentals, is now 4440_l._, which makes the total yearly outlay amount to upwards of 19,000_l._ The annual cost of the staff in the secretary’s department is said to have been reduced from 3962_l._ 4_s._ to 3605_l._; in the engineers’ department from 16,437_l._ 3_s._ to 8973_l._ 16_s._ In the general service there has been an increase from 606_l._ 16_s._ to 696_l._

A deputation who waited lately upon Lord John Russell is said to have declared the expenses of the Commissioners’ office to be at the rate of from 25 to 30 per cent. on the amount of rate collected. The sum collected in the year 1850 averaged 89,341_l._ The cost of management in that year was 23,465_l._; this, it will be seen, is 26 per cent of the gross income.

The annual statement of the receipts and expenditure under the Commission for the year 1851 has just been published, but not _officially_; from this it appears that in February, 1851--

The balance of cash in hand _£ s. d._ was 5,750 9 11 The total receipts during the year have amounted to 129,000 0 9 ------------- Making together 134,750 10 8

The expenditure, as returned under the general head, is--

For work £95,539 19 3 (This item includes the cost of supervision and compensation for damages.) The cost of surveys has been 6,332 19 9 Management 16,430 9 2 Loans 10,442 10 2 Contingencies 2,749 1 1 ------------- Total payments 131,494 19 5 Balance in hand £3,355 11 3

As an instance of the mismanagement of the sewers work of the metropolis, it is but right that the subjoined document should be published.

I need not offer any comment on the following “Return to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons, dated 28th July, 1851,” except that I was told early in January, on good authority, that the matter was now worse than it was when reported as follows:--

“_Privy Gardens, Whitehall Yard, Scotland Yard, &c., Public Sewer._

“With reference to the two orders of the Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Woods, &c., I have the honour to state that, since the 15th of November (when I last sent in a memorandum), I have frequently visited the several Crown buildings affected by the building of the main public sewer for draining Westminster; viz., the Earl of Malmsbury’s, the Exchequer Bill Office, the United Service Museum, Lord Liverpool’s, Mr. Vertue’s, Mr. Alderman Thompson’s, and Messrs. Dalgleish’s.

“All these buildings have been more or less damaged by the construction of the sewer; the Exchequer Bill Office, the United Service Museum, and Mr. Vertue’s, in a manner that, in my opinion, can _never be effectually repaired_.

“At Lord Malmsbury’s, the party wall next to the Exchequer Bill Office has _moved_, as shown by some cracks in the staircase; but for this house it may not be necessary to require more to be done than stopping and painting.

“At the Exchequer Bill Office, the old Gothic groins have been cracked in several places, and several settlements have taken place in the walls over and near to where the sewer passes under the building. The shores are still standing against this building, but it would now be better to remove them; the cracks in the groins and walls _can never be repaired_ to render the building so substantial as it was before. The cracks in the basement still from month to month show a very slight movement; those in the staircase and roof also appear to increase. As respects this building, I would submit to the Commissioners of Woods that it _would not be advisable to permit the surveyors of the Commissioners of Sewers to enter and make only a surface repair of plaster and paint_; but I would suggest that a careful survey be made by surveyors appointed respectively by the Board of Woods and the Commissioners of Sewers, and that a thorough repair of the building be made (so far as it is susceptible of repair), under the Board of Woods; the Commissioners of Sewers paying such proportion of the cost thereof as may fairly be deemed to have been occasioned by their proceedings.

“At the United Service Museum, the settlements on the side next the sewer appear to me very serious.

“The house occupied by Lord Liverpool, as also Mr. Vertue’s house, of which his Lordship is Crown lessee, were both affected, the former to some extent, but not seriously; of the latter, the west front sunk, and pulled over the whole house with it; but as respects these two houses the interference of the Board is, I believe, unnecessary, Mr. Hardwicke (one of the Sewer Commissioners) having, as architect for Lord Liverpool, caused both to be repaired.

“A like repair has also been made in the kitchen offices of Mr. Alderman Thompson’s house, where alone any cracks appeared.

“At Messrs. Dalgleish and Taylor’s, very serious injury has been done to both their buildings and their trade. The Commissioners of Sewers have a steam-engine still at work on those premises, and have not yet concluded their operations there. Some of the sheds which entirely fell down they have rebuilt; and others, which appear in a very defective if not dangerous state, it is understood they propose to repair or rebuild; but as eventually Messrs. Dalgleish and Taylor will have a very heavy claim against them for interference with business, and as the extent of damage to the buildings which has been done, or may hereafter arise, cannot at present be fully ascertained, it would probably be advisable to postpone this part of the subject, giving notice, however, to the Commissioners of Sewers that it must hereafter come under consideration.

(Signed) “JAMES PENNETHORNE.

“10th May, 1851.”

“_Sewer, Whitehall Yard, &c._

“Under the order of the Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Woods, &c., of yesterday’s date, endorsed on a letter from Mr. Tonna, I have inspected the United Service Institution in Whitehall Yard, and find most of the cracks have moved.

“The movement, though slight, and not showing immediate danger, is more than I had anticipated would occur within so short a period when I reported on the 10th instant. It tends to confirm the opinion therein given, and shows the necessity for immediate precaution, and for a thorough repair.

(Signed) “JAMES PENNETHORNE.

“16th May, 1851.

{Commissioners of Her “SEYMOUR, {Majesty’s Woods, Forests, “CHARLES GORE, {Land Revenues, {Works, and Buildings.

“Office of Woods, &c.

“5th August, 1851.”

OF THE SEWERS RATE.

Having shown the expenditure of the Commission of Sewers, we now come to consider its income.

The funds available for the sewerage and drainage of the several towns throughout the kingdom, are raised by means of a particular property tax, termed the Sewers Rate. This forms part of what are designated the _Local_ Taxes of England and Wales.

Local taxes are of two classes:--

I. Rates raised upon property in _defined_ districts, as parishes, jurisdictions, counties, &c.

II. Tolls, dues, and fees charged for particular services on particular occasions, as turnpike tolls, harbour dues, &c., &c.

The rates or sums raised upon the property lying within a certain circumscribed locality, admit of being subdivided into two orders--

1. The rates of _independent_ districts, or those which, being required for a particular district (as the parish or some equivalent territorial limit), are not only levied within the bounds of that district, but expended for the purposes of it alone; as is the case with the poor rate.

2. The rates of _aggregate_ districts, or those which, though required to be expended for the purposes of a given district (such as the county), are raised in detail in the several inferior districts (such as the various parishes) which compose the larger one, and which contribute the sums thus levied to one common fund; such is the case with the county rate.

But the rates of independent districts may be further distinguished into two orders, viz.--

i. Those which are levied on the same classes of persons, the same kinds of property, and the same principles of valuation as the poor rate; such are the highway rate, the lighting and watching, and the militia rate among the independent rates; and the police, borough, and county rates among the aggregate rates.

ii. Those which are _not_ levied on the same basis as the poor rate. The church and sewers rates are familiar instances of this peculiarity.

The sewers rate, then, is a local tax required for an _independent_ rather than an _aggregate_ district, and is _not_ levied upon the basis of the poor law.

The assessment of the poor rate, for instance, includes tithes of every kind, that of the sewers rate extends to such tithes only as are in the hands of laymen. Again, the sewers rate embraces some incorporeal hereditaments to which the poor rate does not extend; but stock in trade, which of late years has been specially exempted from the poor rate, was never subject to the sewers rate.

A sewers rate, however, was known as early as the sixth year of Henry VI. (1427), though “commissions” were not instituted till the time of Henry VIII. The Act which now regulates the collection of the funds required for the cleansing, building, repairs, and improvements of the sewers, is 4 and 5 Vict. (1841). This statute gives the “Courts” or “Commissions” of Sewers, power “to tax in the gross” in each parish, &c., all lands, &c., within the jurisdiction of such courts, for the requirements of the public sewerage. This impost is not periodically levied, nor at any stated or even regularly recurring term, but “as occasion requires:” perhaps once in two or three years. It is (with some exceptions, which require no notice) what is commonly called “a landlord’s tax” in the metropolis, that is, the sewers-rate collector must be paid by the occupier of the premises, who, on the production of the collector’s receipt, can deduct the amount from his rent. If this arrangement were meant to convey a notion to the public that the sewers tax was a tax on property--on the capitalist who owns, and not on the tenant who merely occupies--it is a shallow device, for every one must know that the more sewers rate a tenant pays _for_ his landlord, the more rent he must pay _to_ him.

The sewers rate is levied according to the rateable value put upon property by the surveyors and assessors appointed by the Commissioners, who may make the rate “by such ways and means, and in such manner and form, as to them may seem most convenient.” It seems a question yet to be determined whether or not there is a right of appeal against the sewers rate, but the general opinion is that there is _no appeal_. The rate can be mortgaged by the Commissioners if an advance of money is considered desirable. The maximum of 1_s._ in the pound on the net annual value of the property was fixed by the Act. The Commissioners have also the power to levy a “special rate” on any district not connected with the general system of sewerage, but which it has been resolved should be so connected; also an “improvement rate,” at a maximum of 10 per cent. on the rack rent, “in respect of works they may judge to be of private benefit,” a provision which has called forth some comments.

The metropolitan sewers rate is now collected in nine districts.

There are at present 42 Commissions or Courts of Sewers throughout England and Wales.

The only return which has yet been prepared of the annual amount assessed and collected under the authority of the Metropolitan Commission of Sewers, is one presented to the House of Commons in 1843. It includes the sum assessed in four of the eight districts within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Commissioners from 1831 to 1840 inclusive.

------------------------+------------+------------ |Total in the| Annual Districts. | 10 years. | Average. ------------------------+------------+------------ | £ | £ Westminster | 235,397 | 23,539-7/10 Holborn and Finsbury | 123,317 | 12,331-7/10 Tower Hamlets | 82,468 | 8,246-8/10 From East Moulsey, | | in Surrey, to | | Ravensbourne, in Kent | 175,137 | 17,513-7/10 ------------------------+------------+------------ | 616,319 | 61,631-9/10 ------------------------+------------+------------

The following amounts were returned to Parliament as that expended in two other of the metropolitan districts in the year 1833:--

In the City £17,718-2/10 Poplar district 2,746-9/10 ------------ £20,465-1/10

Annual average of the four above-mentioned districts 61,631-9/10 -------------------------------------------------- Yearly total £82,097

The two districts excluded from the above total are the minor ones of St. Katherine and Greenwich, so that altogether the gross sum levied within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Commissioners must have been between 85,000_l._ and 90,000_l._

The annual amount of the local rates in England and Wales is, according to a work on the subject (“The Local Taxes of the United Kingdom”), published “under the direction of the Poor Law Commissioners” in 1846, 8,801,838_l._[68] In this large sum only the average annual outlay on the six districts of the sewers of the metropolis is included (82,097_l._), and it is stated that not even an approximate average could be arrived at as regards the expenditure on sewers in the country districts. Such absence of statistical knowledge,--and it is a want continually observable--is little creditable to the legislative, executive, and administrative powers of the State.

I shall now proceed to show, from the best data at my command, the present outlay on the metropolitan sewers.

According to the present law, the Commissioners are required to submit to Parliament yearly returns of the money collected on account of, and expended in, the sewerage of the metropolis.

I need only state, that in the latest and, indeed, the sole returns upon the subject, the rates in 1845-6-7, under the former separate commissions, were 1_d._ and 2_d._ in the pound on land, and from 3_d._ (Ranelagh and Westminster) to 1_s._ 10_d._ (Greenwich) on houses.

The rates made under the combined and consolidated Commissions, from 30th Nov., 1847, to 8th Oct., 1849, were all 6_d._, excepting the Western division of Westminster sewers, which were 3_d._, and a part of the Surrey and Kent district, 8_d._

The rates under the present Metropolitan Commission, from 8th October, 1849, to 31st July, 1851, are all 6_d._, with a similar exception in Surrey and Kent. The following are the only further returns bearing immediately on the subject:--

RETURN OF THE PERCENTAGE ON THE TOTAL RATEABLE ANNUAL VALUE OF THE PROPERTY ASSESSED, to which the Rates collected under the separate COMMISSIONS, between January, 1845, and November, 1847, amounted; SIMILAR RETURN as to the combined and consolidated COMMISSIONS, from November, 1847, to October, 1849; and as to the present COMMISSION, from October, 1849, to July 31, 1851.

------------------------------------+---------------------+----------------+----------------------------------+ | Total Rateable | | | Annual Value of the | | Amount of the | Districts on | Average Amount | Percentage of | November 30, 1847, | collected | the Rates collected | and October 8, 1849,| for One Year. | on the Rateable | and July 31, 1851, | | Annual Value. | respectively. | | ------------------------------------+---------------------+----------------+----------------------------------+ | £ _s._ _d._| _£ s. d._| _£ s. d._ Under the old separate Commissions }| | | of Sewers, between }| 6,683,896 0 0 | 81,738 11 0 |{ 1 4 5 or 2-3/4_d._ ·72 in the January, 1845, and November }| | |{ pound per annum. 30, 1847 }| | | | | | Under the combined and consolidated}| | | Commissions, from November }| | |{ 0 18 11-3/4 or 2-1/4_d._ ·11 in 30, 1847, to October 8, }| 7,128,111 0 0 | 67,707 16 3 |{ the pound per 1849 (including first Metropolitan }| | |{ annum. Commission) }| | | | | | Under the present Metropolitan }| 8,135,090[69] 0 0 |{ |{ 1 1 11 or 2-1/2_d._ ·52 in the Commission of Sewers, from October }| |{ 89,341 16 0 |{ pound per annum. 8, 1849, to July 21, 1851 }| 8,820,325[70] 0 0 |{ |{ 1 0 3 or 2-1/4_d._ ·72 in the | | |{ pound per annum. ------------------------------------+---------------------+----------------+----------------------------------+

AUGUST, 1851.

THOMAS COGGIN, _Clerk of Rates and Collections._

return of the present annual amount of the local rates in England and Wales.

I. RATES.

A. RATES OF INDEPENDENT DISTRICTS.

1. _On the basis of the poor rate._

The poor rate, including the purposes of-- The workhouse building rate } The survey and valuation rate } Relief of the poor £4,976,093 Other objects 567,567 Contributions to county and borough rates (see below). Jail fees rate } Constables rate } unknown Highway rates 1,312,812 Lighting and watching rate unknown Militia rate not needed

2. _Not on the basis of the poor rate._

Church rates 506,812 Sewers rate-- General sewers tax-- In the metropolis 82,097 In the rest of the country unknown Drainage and inclosure rates } Inclosure rate } unknown Regulated pasture rate }

B. RATES OF AGGREGATE DISTRICTS.

County rates { Contributed } Hundred rate { from the } 1,356,457 Borough rates { poor rate. } ---------- Total rates of England and Wales £8,801,834

The amount of the taxation in the shape of tolls, dues, and fees is as follows:--

II. TOLLS, DUES, AND FEES.

Turnpike tolls £1,348,085 Borough tolls and dues £172,911 City of London 205,100 -------- 378,011 Light dues 257,776 Port dues 554,645 Church dues and fees } Marriage fees } unknown Registration fees } Justiciary fees-- Clerks of the Peace £11,057 Justices’ clerks 57,668 ------- 68,725 ----------

Total tolls, dues, and fees of England and Wales £2,607,241

The subjoined, then adds the same work, founded on the preceding details, may be regarded as exhibiting an approximate estimate of the present amount of the local taxes in England and Wales, _being, however, obviously below the actual total_.

Rates £8,801,838 Tolls, dues, and fees 2,607,241 ---------- £11,409,079

“The annual amount of the local taxation of England and Wales may at the present time be stated, in round numbers, at not less than £12,000,000;” or we may say that the local taxation of the country is one-fourth of the amount of the general taxation.

RETURN OF THE COST OF MANAGEMENT PER ANNUM ON THE TOTAL RATEABLE ANNUAL VALUE OF THE DISTRICTS.