Folios 586-587. To: William Stevens Jnr, Clerk (pro tem) to the Local Board of Health,...

Folios 586-587.

To: William Stevens Jnr, Clerk (pro tem) to the Local Board of Health, Hitchin [Hertfordshire].

From: The General Board of Health.

Subject Matter: Draft letter acknowledging receipt of a letter dated 12 September 1850, with reference to the payment of the expenses incurred under the Public Health Act 1848, in accordance with Section 11 of that Act. Stevens is advised that an account of the Inspector of the expenses of the preliminary inquiry in in the course of preparation and will be delivered at the earliest possible period. He is assured that the Board will do its utmost to get the accounts settled after that, without delay, but it is explained that it is impossible to fix the precise fate of such payment.

[Folio 587 is a minute by William Ranger, Superintending Inspector, dated 13 September 1850, explaining that 'in furtherance of the object of the inquiry, Mr Stevens was instructed by me to ascertain the number of persons resident in each of the smaller class of tenements, the extent of the privy accommodation, and the nature of the water supply'. Ranger observes that for doing this, Stevens has charged 'no less that 30 days', a period which he considers to far exceed what was required for sufficiently executing the work. He states the amount Stevens has claimed for this work (£15 15s 0d), and points out that he has no authority as to the remaining items in the account].