Any private individual or any public body may make a communication or suggestion to the Court of Sewers, which, if it be in accordance with their functions, is taken into consideration at the next accruing court day, or as soon after as convenient. The Court in these cases either comes to a decision of adoption or rejection of any proposition, or refers it to one of their engineers or surveyors for a report, or to a committee of the Commissioners, appointed by the Court; if the proposition be professional, as to defects, or alleged and recommended improvements in the local sewers, &c., it is referred to a professional gentleman for his opinion; if it be more general, as to the extension of sewerage to some new undertaking or meditated undertaking in the way of building new markets, streets, or any places, large and public; or in applications for the use and appropriation by enterprising men of sewage manure, it is referred to a committee.
On receiving such reports the Court makes an order according to its discretion. If the work to be done be extensive, it is entrusted to the chief engineer, and perhaps to a principal surveyor acting in accordance with him; if the work be more local, it is consigned to a surveyor. One or other of these officers provides, or causes to be prepared, a plan and a description of the work to be done, and instructs the clerk of the works to procure estimates of the cost at which a contractor will undertake to execute this work, or, as it is often called by the labouring class, to “complete the job” (a word at one time singularly applicable). The estimates are sent by the competing builders, architects, general speculators, or by any one wishing to contract, to the court house (without the intervention of any person, officially or otherwise) and they are submitted to the Board by their clerk. The lowest contract, as the sum total of the work, is most generally adopted, and when a contract has been accepted, the matter seems settled and done with, as regards the management of the Commissioners; for the contractor at once becomes responsible for the fulfilment of his contract, and may and does employ whom he pleases and at what rates he pleases, without fear of any control or interference from the Court. The work, however, is superintended by the surveyors, to ensure its execution according to the provisions of the agreement. The contractor is paid by direct order of the Court.
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:—
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:—