to the prevention of pollution of rivers (which should include water generally) should be reconsidered and revised.

The duty of putting the law in motion should be placed in the hands of Boards of Conservancy or similar bodies, having authority over the drainage areas of the principal rivers, who should have certain limited powers of dealing with all questions of water supply and sewerage within these areas.

The suggested authorities might consist of members drawn from the county and borough councils affected, and should be empowered to levy rates.

One of the duties of the authority should be to encourage, and if necessary to enforce, with the sanction of the Local Government Board and of Parliament, the combination of areas for water supply and sewerage purposes, and thus to more effectively conserve the water and prevent pollution.

That millowners should have power to discharge untreated effluent from their works into sewers seems to be undesirable.

The effluent from each mill would probably be of a different character, containing different mineral constituents, rendering the treatment of the sewage, for the reception of which the works are designed, more difficult, and in many cases preventing the possibility of efficient purification of the aggregate.

The discharge of unduly large volumes of trade effluent into sewers necessitates the use of larger channels than would otherwise be necessary, and of treatment works quite out of proportion to the requirements of the district, and therefore adds greatly to the cost, while reducing efficiency.

Mr. Hanson instances two cases of mills. In the

first case the cost of treatment, including interest at 5 per cent. per annum, is 1.36 pence per 1,000 gallons. In the second, the cost is 109 pence per 1,000 gallons treated. The cost is somewhat excessive in each case, but they are probably exceptional, and there is no means of defining what is the average cost to a millowner or what proportion the charge bears to his income, nor is there any estimate of the advantage to the trade of being able to use, for the purposes of the trade, water which is comparatively pure for that which was highly polluted. Without this information no com parison can be drawn between the advantages and disadvantages to the millowner himself, nor can any estimate be formed of the amount of the burden.

Because trade effluent is discharged into a sewer it cannot be said that the millowner gets off scot free, for the cost of the sewer and of the treatment works is much larger than it would be were the trade effluent not introduced. What happens is that all the ratepayers, the millowner included, have to pay a higher rate than would be required for the disposal of sewage alone.

Whether this is a fair or unfair apportionment of the burden can only be judged on the spot, and only after careful inquiry; but it does not appear to be likely to work to the best advantage from the point of view of the purification of the water.

REGINALD E. MIDDLETON, Fellow.

SECTION III.

PROFESSIONAL QUERIES.

Information is sought on the following points :

708.

SELLING GRASS AND FEED DURING TENANCY OF FARM.

(For Replies to this Query, see pp. 146, 147, 148.)

A farm tenant on the borders of Somerset and Wilts is under the usual agreement "not to assign, underlet, nor part possession with the premises "nor any part thereof without the consent in writing of the landlord." No notice to quit has been given on either side. The tenant has advertised, for sale by auction, the grass and feed until Lady Day next. The landlord claims that this is a breach of the foregoing agreement The tenant claims to be within his rights. Occasionally, in this part of the country (Wilts) grass and feed is sold a few months before the expiration of a tenancy. It seems unreasonable that a tenant can thus use the land at any time during his tenancy.

Can any member give an authoritative opinion or quote a case bearing upon this point?

A B is a rural district council road, metalled within the dotted line, leading from enclosed land on to and over open common and hill. CDE is the boundary of the common.

A house has been erected on enclosed land at F, and three steps made in the bank at G (the road being on a slightly higher level) to afford a better approach to the house. The steps do not in any way affect the stability of the road bank.

The Rural District Council allege that the steps are an encroachment.

(1) Does not the jurisdiction of the Rural District Council cease with the metalled part of the road as the road is through a common?

(2) Does the proximity of the boundary fence at the point in question affect the matter?

(3) If the Rural District Council has no jurisdiction, has the lord of the manor, or have the commoners?

(4) Are there any cases deciding the limit of the jurisdiction of the Rural District Council on a road through cominon land?

710.

SEWERS LAID UNDER SCHEDULE OF PRICES." AVERAGE DEPTH.”

run.

(For Replies to this Query, see p. 149.)

Under a schedule of prices for laying sewers, worded as follows: 9-inch pipes not exceeding an average depth of 6 feet, at 58. per foot.

9-inch pipes not exceeding an average depth of 9 feet, at 6s. per foot.

In the case sketched above should the work be charged100 feet 9-inch pipe not exceeding an average depth of 4 feet 6 inches, at 58.

80 feet 9-inch pipe not exceeding an average depth of
9 feet, at 68.

Or,

180 feet 9-inch pipe not exceeding an average depth of

7 feet, at 6x.

£25 0 0

24 0 0

£49 0 0

£54 0 0

TELEGRAPH POLES ON LAND

711.

BESIDE ROAD-RIGHT OF LAND

OWNER TO OBJECT.

(For Replies to this Query, see p. 150.)

The General Post Office has erected a line of telegraph poles alongside a public road running unfenced through fields. The metalled surface of the road is about 12 feet wide, and the poles are erected about 4 feet from the edge of the metalled surface. The Post Office engineer contends that the poles are on the public road within the meaning of the Acts giving them power to erect poles on the public highway without the adjoining owner's leave, asserting that if the landowner desired to fence off the road or erect buildings, he must keep his fences or buildings at least 15 feet from the centre of the road, and that the line of poles would then be within the road fences. The owner, however, has no intention of fencing the road or of erecting buildings, and at present the public rights do not extend beyond the metalled surface, for in grass fields cattle feed to the edge of the hard surface, and hay is cut, and in arable fields the land is ploughed and tilled to the edge of the road, and the owner's contention is that the poles are fixed on his private property.

Is the owner's view correct?

712.

DILAPIDATIONS-LESSEE'S LIABILITY.

(For Replies to this Query, see p. 151.)

Under the following general repairing covenant of a building lease there being no specific decoration covenants

As often as need shall require well and sufficiently repair uphold support sustain amend pave scour cleanse empty and keep the said premises with the appurtenances and all the brick walls and fences of and belonging or hereafter to belong to the same and the pavement before all the front of the said premises and all the other pavements and all the walls posts pales iron and other rails privies sinks sewers drains houses of office and other appurtenances thereto belonging or which shall hereafter belong with all manner of needful and necessary reparations cleanings and amendments whatsoever and the said demised premises with the appurtenances so being in all things well and sufficiently repaired upheld supported maintained amended paved cleansed emptied and kept together with all the doors wainscots shelves dressers drawers locks keys bolts bars staples hinges hearths marble and other chimney pieces mantel pieces chimney jambs foot paces and slabs covings glazed windows and sashes windows window sashes window shutters partitions sinks water closets pumps pipes water pipes and trunks posts pales rails and all other things which now are or which at any time hereafter during the term hereby granted shall be any wise fixed or fastened to or set up in or upon the said demised premises or any part thereof or belong to the same shall and will at the end expiration or other sooner determination of the term hereby granted (which shall first happen) peaceably and quietly surrender and yield up.