Folios 116-119. To: The General Board of Health. From: Charles E Deacon, Town Clerk...

Folios 116-119.

To: The General Board of Health.

From: Charles E Deacon, Town Clerk and Clerk to the Local Board of Health, Southampton [Hampshire].

Subject Matter: Letter enclosing extracts from the proceedings of a meeting of the Southampton Local Board held on the 27 June 1855, and of a meeting held on the 2 January 1856, both having reference to a claim of £1427 10s 7d made by Mr Ranger upon the Local Board, and further enclosing the accounts therein referred to [not included in item], relating to the sewerage and water supply. Deacon explains that the Southampton Local Board retained Mr Ranger soon after their constitution under the Public Health Act 1858 as their Engineer, to design plans for sewering the town, and for the water supply of the district. Ranger is said to have accordingly furnished plans of those works, and continued to act as the Engineer to the Board until he was appointed one of the Superintending Inspectors under the new General Board of Health, when he altogether ceased to act in his capacity of Engineer to the Local Board but continued to grant certificates to Contractors, from time to time, for works executed under their contracts. Deacon further explains that Ranger was not remunerated by a percentage on the amount of works executed, but according to the time he was actually employed in preparing plans, holding conferences, and inspecting the works. The works comprising the main and branch sewers are said to be complete, but the outfall is not yet settled, and all the contracts for works executed for the purposes of the water supply have, with one exception, been performed. Deacon states that the Local Board are desirous of obtaining the opinion of the General Board as to their liability, under the circumstances, to pay the accounts enclosed herewith, which have been delivered by Ranger.