The penalty incurred by an employer who acts in contravention of the above provisions is a sum not exceeding 40s. But no penalty will be incurred by the employer (a) if the child was lawfully employed on the 15th August, 1876. (b) If the child obtains efficient instruction by attendance at School for full time or in some other equally efficient manner. (c) If the employment be during a specified time allowed by the School Board for purposes of husbandry, &c. and if the child be over eight years of age and be so employed. (d) If the child be employed and be attending School in accordance with the provisions of the Factory Acts, or of the Bye-Laws of the School Board. (e) If the employer be bona fide deceived as to the age of the child or as to his having obtained a certificate; or if some agent, without the knowledge of the employer, shall have employed the child—in which latter case the agent will be liable to the penalty. Although the employer be exempt from penalty, when the child is lawfully employed under the above regulations, the parent will still be liable for any breach of the Bye-Laws, where the latter are more stringent. III.—Regulations as to the Payment or Remission of Fees. If a parent is unable, from poverty, to pay the School fee of his child, he may apply either to the Guardians of the Poor for the Parish where he lives, or to the School Board. The Guardians, if satisfied of the poverty of the parent, must pay the school fee, not exceeding 3d. a week, of the child, in any Public Elementary School which the parent may select. If the parent select a Board School, the School Board, on his application, may, if they think fit, remit the school fee. The payment or remission of the school fee will not subject the parent to any disability. IV.—Free Instruction. Subject to conditions to be made by an order of the Education Department, a child under 11 years of age who obtains a certificate that he has attended a Public Elementary School 350 times a year, for two, three, four or five years according to circumstances, and, also, that he has attained a Standard (to be fixed by the Department) in Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, will be entitled to have his school fees paid for him by the Education Department at a public Elementary School for three years more.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD.
15th November, 1876.
[1] All Elementary Schools in the receipt of Government Grants are annually examined by H.M. Inspector of Schools, and a report of their condition forwarded to the Education Department. Board Schools are further visited and reported on by an Inspector specially employed by the Board itself for that purpose.
In 1879 there were 63 Board Schools in the whole of the Lambeth Division and 45,000 children on the rolls.
In Battersea there are 68 taverns for the sale of spirits, etc., and 84 beer-houses, making a total of 152 public-houses. There are also 29 coffee-shops.
A COFFEE PALACE IN OLD BATTERSEA.—On Saturday afternoon, Dec. 13, 1879, a coffee palace, belonging to the Coffee Taverns Company, Limited, was opened at Lombard Market, York-road, Battersea. This is the 22nd tavern of the kind opened by the Company, and carried on, in regard to the business, on the same principle as others. A well furnished room is provided for public meetings and other gatherings.
LATCHMERE GROVE, which is almost encircled with Railway embankments, was noted for its piggeries. The lane once known as "Pig Hill," leading from Battersea Fields to Lavender Hill, is now a wide open road and forms the west boundary of the Shaftesbury Park Estate.
Somewhere near the foot of "Pig Hill" were two places called in olden time "Plague Spots" where many bodies of persons who had died of the Plague were buried.
THE SHAFTESBURY PARK ESTATE[1] formerly the site of Poupart's Market Ground, covers an area of 42 acres, contains about 1100 houses and 8000 inhabitants. The houses are built on the most improved sanitary principles, they are prettily and artistically constructed, having small gardens back and front; on either side of the streets are rows of lime and plane trees which in the course of a few years will give the "Work peoples' Town," a beautiful and pleasant aspect. The Houses are built in four classes, containing 5, 6, 7, and 8 rooms respectively, (the latter including a bath room), and the weekly rental (at first was) 6/6, 7/6, and 8/-, and the best class £26 and £30 per year, which sums, except the best class, includes rates and taxes, but if the tenant is buying the house under the repayment table, the rates, taxes, and ground rent have to be paid by him in addition to the purchase money.[2] The purchasing prices of the houses are £170, £210, £260, £310, and £360; and they are leased for a term of 99 years subject to annual ground rent of £3 10s., £4 4s., and £4 10s. according to the class of house. Each dwelling is thoroughly ventilated by means of improved ventilating valves, which are fixed to every room and connected with air shafts in all the external walls and the same are applied beneath the floors, the houses have concrete foundations and are considered dry and healthy. [3]It is intended to convert the premises used as the Estate Agency Office into a Club house, equal in accommodation to any at the West End, with Library, reading, smoking, and billiard rooms; a small hall to hold about 350 is being built which among other things is intended to be let to benefit clubs and such like societies. It is suggested that the present temporary hall be converted into Swimming and Washing Baths. Brassey Square a space about one and a quarter acres, the Estate Company are going to make into a garden like that on the Thames Embankment, in which seats are to be placed and it is intended to have a band to play there in summer months. Beside Co-operative Stores, there is a Social Review connected with the Estate, and a Newspaper has been started called "The South Western Advertiser."[4] The London Board School on the estate is situated in Holden Street. Between houses Nos. 21-23 in the Grayshott Road a stone may be seen bearing the following inscription "Healthy homes the first condition of Social progress." This stone was laid by the Right Honourable the Earl of Shaftesbury, K.G., for the Artizans, Labourers and General Dwellings Company, Limited, on the 3rd of August, 1872. R. Austin, Architect.