The work of filling in erosion and protecting the weir foundations with concrete bags throughout the whole River has made good progress.

Repairs and re-decorations have been carried out to the houses at Godstow, Culham, Goring, Blake's, Marlow, Penton Hook, Chertsey, Shepperton and Teddington Locks.

The towpath bridges at Northmoor, Godstow, Medley, Oxford, Sandford, Sonning and Eton have been repaired.

Protective works have been carried out to towpath and river banks at Medley, Iffley, Molesey and Tilehurst.

Piles, &c., at Walton Wharf have been renewed.

The reconstruction of Goring Lock and the renewal of the piles, &c., to the laybye at Teddington, have been commenced.

Works have been carried out in connection with the general maintenance of the locks, lock and ferry houses, weirs, towpath and river banks, bridges, gates, fences, &c., and repairs to plant and craft have been executed.

Hand dredging punts have been employed at numerous places on the river, cutting weeds, removing shoals, accumulations, and other obstructions.

The quantity of material raised by dredging operations was as

Steam Dredgers have been employed at the undermentioned places in the removal of shoals :

Parliamentary Byelaws. In accordance with their intention, as intimated in the General Report of their proceedings for the year 1920, the Conservators promoted a Bill for giving effect to the suggestions contained in the Report of the Rates Advisory Committee, dated 11th March 1920, as to increasing the payments made to the Conservators by the Metropolitan Water Board; and there were also included in the Bill provisions for a similar increase in the payments to the Conservators, by certain Water Companies, for obtaining sanction to the increased tolls and charges recently authorised by the Minister of Transport, together with sundry other provisions relating to the Conservators' borrowing powers and sinking funds, and for enabling local authorities to enter into agreements with the Conservators respecting the carrying out of works on the River and to contribute towards the cost of such works.

The Bill in question was read a second time in the House of Commons on the 7th April last, and on that occasion it was intimated that the Minister of Transport was of opinion that a time limit should be imposed

on the whole Bill, and that provision should be inserted in the Bill for enabling not only the Conservators but any body or person interested to apply, at any time during the continuance of the Bill, to the appropriate Government Department for a revision of the increased payments, tolls and charges specified in the Bill.

The Conservators considered the suggestions of the Minister of Transport, and decided to concur with the same in principle, and amendments to that effect were accordingly introduced in the Filled-up Bill, and as a result of these and other amendments, a number of Petitions against the Bill were withdrawn.

The Bill was eventually referred to a Joint Select Committee of both Houses, presided over by Mr. Neville Chamberlain, M.P.

The following opponents appeared in opposition to the Bill, viz., the Metropolitan Water Board, the London County Council, the Corporation of London, sixteen Metropolitan Boroughs, and the Thames Boating Trades' Association.

After a lengthy hearing, the Committee announced that they were prepared to pass the preamble of the Bill, subject to certain minor amendments, and the Bill subsequently received the Royal Assent on the 17th August under the title of the Thames Conservancy Act, 1921. The provisions of the Act will expire on 31st December 1925, and accordingly, unless the Conservators' financial circumstances then permit of their carrying on their undertaking with their pre-war income, it will be necessary for further legislation to be promoted in the meantime. In this connection reference may be made to the announcement made in the House of Commons on the occasion of the Second Reading of the Bill, to the effect that it is the intention of the Government to set up an Inter-Departmental Committee to take into consideration at an early date the broader question as to the basis upon which the Conservators' revenue should be raised, so that the Report of such Committee would be available as a guide to Parliament when it became right to revise the present income basis at the end of the limited period during which the Act of 1921 is to be in operation.

The Conservators examined various Bills introduced into Parliament by other bodies, and Orders promoted by or through Government Departments with a view to ascertain whether any of the rights and interests of the Conservators were affected thereby.

In particular, the Conservators had under consideration the Metropolitan Water Board (Various Powers) Bill, promoted by the Metropolitan Water Board for the construction of certain works in and near the banks of the River Thames at Penton Hook, Staines.

In 1911 the Water Board obtained power to make an intake from the River below Penton Hook Weir, provided they did not thereby reduce the flow below such intake to less than 150,000,000 gallons per day. Owing to the war, that intake was not constructed; and by the Bill in question, as originally deposited, the Water Board sought power to remove the site of the intake to a point above Penton Hook Weir, where it would, however (unless otherwise provided), be subject to the general conditions laid down in the Thames Conservancy Act, 1911, by which the Water Board must not reduce the flow over Penton Hook Weir below 285,000,000 gallons. By this alteration in the position of the intake, the Water Board would have secured a certain additional

head of water, and so effected a saving in the annual cost of pumping the water.

The Conservators saw no objection to the mere alteration of the site of the intake, but a short time before the Bill was due to be taken in Committee, the Water Board took steps with a view to add to the Bill a clause empowering them to reduce, by means of the new intake, the flow over Penton Hook Weir to 150,000,000 (instead of 285,000,000) gallons, and also to effect such an alteration in the method of calculating the flow over Penton Hook Weir for the purpose of their other intake at Bell Weir as would have rendered impracticable the Conservators' control over the abstraction by the last-mentioned intake.

Negotiations took place, but the Water Board declined to modify their proposals, and in the circumstances there was no alternative for the Conservators but to oppose the suggested additional provisions above mentioned.

The Bill was referred to a Select Committee of the House of Commons, presided over by Captain Starkey, M.P., and, as a result of the Conservators' opposition, the Select Committee refused to sanction the proposed interference with the existing statutory conditions as to the flow over Penton Hook Weir.

The Conservators also had under consideration the provisions of the Middlesex County Council (General Powers) Bill, by which the Middlesex County Council sought (inter alia) further powers in relation to the prevention of the pollution and obstruction of streams in the County of Middlesex.

The present position of the Conservators and the County Council under their respective Acts with regard to the prevention of pollution of any tributary of the Thames in Middlesex communicating with the River above Teddington is that, whilst the Council have certain quasiconcurrent powers similar to those of the Conservators in respect of such tributaries, the Council are not entitled to take proceedings under their provisions with respect thereto; and nothing in or done under those Acts can prejudice the powers and duties of the Conservators, so that in effect the Conservators are the sole and exclusive authority with regard to the prevention of pollution of the Middlesex tributaries of the Thames above Teddington, in so far as the powers conferred by the Thames Conservancy Act, 1894, extend.

It appeared to the Conservators that by the Bill in question which, as originally deposited, contained no saving clause for the Conservators, the Council would obtain an equal and overlapping status with the Conservators in respect of the prevention of pollution; and the Conservators did not perceive any necessity or justification for this step, as they are continuing, as in the past, to administer their Acts fully with regard to the tributaries in question.

The Conservators accordingly deposited a Petition against the Bill and, as a result of subsequent negotiations, the Council agreed to insert a clause for the Conservators' protection and maintaining their provisions as fully and effectually as under the previous Acts.

The attention of the Conservators was also directed to the Sutton District Waterworks Bill, by which the Sutton District Waterworks Company sought power to construct a well, or wells, and pumping station on certain land belonging to the Company in the Parish of

Cheam, in the Rural District of Epsom. The site in question is situate close to the line dividing the watershed of the Hoggs Mill River (which flows into the Thames above Teddington Lock) from that of the Beverley Brook (which discharges into the Thames below Teddington), and the Company's area of supply comprises a district which is partly within and partly without the watershed of the Thames above Teddington. Negotiations accordingly took place, with the result that there was incorporated in the Bill a clause which provides, in the interests of the Conservators and of certain local authorities concerned in the flow of the Hoggs Mill River, for the limiting of the quantity of water to be pumped from the newly authorised wells to amounts varying at different periods of the year, and also requires the Company to keep daily records of the quantity of water pumped, such records to be open to the inspection of the Conservators' Engineer.

In consequence of certain alteration in the law effected by the Thames Conservancy Act, 1921, it has become necessary to revise the Thames Conservancy (Registration and Tolls) Byelaws, 1912, and the Conservators have accordingly prepared a new code of byelaws, which will, in due course, be submitted to the Minister of Transport for confirmation in substitution for the above-mentioned Byelaws of 1912.

River Purification. The jurisdiction of the Conservators for the purpose of preventing pollution of the Thames and its tributaries comprises an area of 3,656 square miles, and the Conservators have continued to exercise the powers conferred upon them of preserving and maintaining, as far as may be, the flow and purity of the water of the Thames and its tributaries.

At the towns and centres of population where works for the purification of the sewage are in operation, the works have been kept under observation for the purpose of ascertaining that they are maintained in an efficient manner, and in those cases where the analysis of a sample of effluent has shown it to be insufficiently purified, the Authority or person responsible has been called upon to take steps to ensure the discharge of an effluent of a satisfactory character into the stream.

During the year 1,090 samples of effluents from various sewage works and other premises, and of water from the River and tributaries, have been analysed.

The following paragraphs contain particulars of the more important instances which the Conservators have had under consideration.

The large scheme of alterations and improvements which, in consequence of proceedings instituted against them by the Conservators, the Local Authority propose to carry out at their sewage farm at New Swindon (Wilts) was submitted to and approved by the Ministry of Health, who have accordingly sanctioned the necessary loans in respect thereof. The Local Authority have not yet commenced to carry out the scheme, and in the meantime the Justices have adjourned the proceedings. A loan has also been sanctioned in connection with a scheme for the purification of storm-water, but this work has not yet been put in hand.

With a view to meet the Conservators' requirements, the Local Authority for Marlborough (Wilts) have taken certain steps with a view to improve the character of the effluent from their sewage works, but the work has not yet been completed.

The Local Authority for Stratton St. Margaret (Wilts) have given instructions for a report to be furnished as to works to be carried out to improve the character of the effluent from their sewage works.

The work in connection with the carrying out of the amended scheme of sewage disposal for Charlbury (Oxon) was suspended in consequence of the cost of the scheme exceeding the borrowing power of the Local Authority, and as the result of a conference which took place between the parties interested, the scheme was further amended and the work has been resumed.

With a view to prevent overflows to the River from the sewerage system, the Local Authority for Henley (Oxon) have relaid with castiron pipes all the remaining stoneware sewers in the waterlogged areas of the town, in respect of which work a loan was sanctioned by the Ministry of Health.

A loan sanctioned some years since for a scheme of improvements in the disposal and treatment of the sewage at Banbury (Oxon) was partially carried out and the remainder was stopped in consequence of the war. The Local Authority subsequently carried out some work to prevent the infiltration of surface water to the sewers, and this work has been continued. Progress has also been made with the construction of additional tanks and filters at the sewage farm.

Improvements in the method of dealing with the sewage at Oxford Sewage Farm have been carried out.

A loan has been sanctioned by the Ministry of Health for improvements in the disposal of the sewage at Wardington (Oxon).

A scheme for dealing with the pollution from Great and Little Bourton (Oxon) has been prepared by the Local Authority and submitted to the Ministry of Health, who have held an Inquiry with reference thereto.

A scheme has been prepared for dealing with the drainage of the village of Shipton-under-Wychwood, but as no steps have been taken to carry it into effect, a notice has been served upon the Local Authority requiring discontinuance of the pollution.

A Ministry of Health Inquiry has been held respecting the application of the Local Authority for sanction to borrow money for a scheme of extensions at the sewage works at Abingdon (Berks).

Work in connection with the scheme sanctioned by the Ministry of Health for treating the sewage of Reading (Berks) by means of the activated sludge process of sewage purification has been commenced.

The scheme for dealing with the sewerage and surface and subsoil drainage of that portion of Tilehurst within the Borough of Reading has been completed and a number of premises has been connected with the sewers.

Following on proceedings instituted against the Local Authority in respect of pollution from the village of Harwell (Berks), a drainage scheme was prepared. The Ministry of Health held an Inquiry and tenders were obtained for the execution of the scheme, but as the amount of the lowest tender exceeded the borrowing power of the Parish, the Authority inquired of the Ministry what steps should be taken. As the result of a conference which was subsequently held between the parties interested, it was decided that the Local Authority