Record

NLB - New Letter Books: copies of outgoing administrative letters of the Royal Society
- 19 - New Letter Book volume 19, copy letters sent from Royal Society administration

RefNo	NLB/19/360
AltRefNo	NLB/19 p202-207
Level	Item
Title	Copy letter, clause and list of bills from Arthur William Rucker, to the Secretary, Her Majesty's Office of Works and Public Buildings, S.W.
Date	23 August 1899
Description	Presumes the Secretary has already received from the Treasury a copy of the enclosed clause for the protection of Government Observatories which was approved by the Chairmen of the Committees of the House of Lords and Commons respectively. Has been informed by Sir Courtenay Boyle that the Clause has been introduced into the bills of which a list is subjoined [lists 10 bill titles]. The Treasury have also informed Rucker that the Clause is to supersede the Kew Clause in the Act of 1898 of the London United Tramways Company. Rucker and Professor [John] Perry acted as inspectors on behalf of the Office of Woks of the electrical arrangements which the London United Tramways Company proposed to use in their lines near to the Kew Observatory. As that Clause is not superseded, Rucker ventures to suggest the Office of Works should formally enquire of the London United Tramways Company whether they intend to carry out the construction of their lines authorized in 1898 and 1899, in accordance with the scheme approved by Perry and Rucker, and if not in what parts of the line the scheme is to be departed from. If departures are contemplated it will be necessary, if the Kew Observatory is to be protected, to bring the matter before the Board of Trade, in accordance with the new Clause forwarded herewith. Three Government Departments are interested in the protection of Observatories and Laboratories: the Office of Woks on behalf of the Kew Observatory and Government Chemical Laboratory, Admiralty on behalf of Greenwich Observatory, and the Science and Art Department on behalf of the Royal College of Science. Many electrical railways may effect the interests of all three departments and it is desirable that instead of taking independent action in each case, they should act in common. Sir Boyle has suggested the three departments should agree to appoint one official and one scientific adviser with whom the Board of Trade might communicate. Suggests the Departments concerned come to an early agreement as to whether they propose to act independently or in common. It is desirable action should be taken early enough to ensure that the right of appeal to the Board of Trade is not affected by the Companies having already got to work and possibly entered into contracts because no appeal was lodged.
Extent	6p
Format	Carbon
PhysicalDescription	Typescript
AccessStatus	Open

Fellows associated with this archive

Code	PersonName	Dates
NA6673	Rucker; Sir; Arthur William (1848 - 1915)	1848 - 1915

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