After the hearing of "further evidence" on Wednesday, Lord Balfour
of Burleigh, the chairman of the Joint Committee appointed to inquire into the London Water Bill, made an important announcement. Mr. Long's proposal was that the new Water Board should consist of sixty-nine members, ten appointed by the London County Council, and the remainder by the Common Council of the City, the Borough Councils of the Metropolis, and other bodies. The Joint Committee have now decided: (1) that the Board should consist of not more than thirty-five members ; (2) that the London Borough Councils and outside Urban District Councils should be eliminated ; (3) that no county authority shall have an absolute majority of the thirty-three members (excluding chairman and vice-chairman) now proposed. This decision, involving a demand that the Local Government Board should formulate a new scheme, has at once raised the question whether Ministers will accept the situation or abandon the Bill.
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