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86
BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK v. THE METROPOLITAN
INDUSTRIAL DWELLINGS COMPANY, LIMITED.
Ponsonby Buildings.
The result of the Police Court proceedings in this case which were
printed in the Sanitary Journal for October, 1902, was unfortunate for
the Borough, as the Magistrate dismissed the summons with 10 guineas
costs. After this decision the Public Health Committee of the Borough
decided to call in Professor Robinson, whose report is here given. The
effect of Professor Robinson's examination of the drainage was that the
Industrial Dwellings Company without further delay reconstructed the
entire system of drainage.
I have given the history of the case from the Sanitary Journal,
together with Professor Robinson's Report:—
Extract fbom "Sanitary Journal."
"The premises, Ponsonby Buildings, are in a square, and consist of
a series of blocks, backing on to a large court-yard. The outlet of the
main drain is on one side of the buildings, under which it passes to
the courtyard. From the courtyard branches pass from the main drain
under the several passages to the closets.
"In February last application was made to the Medical Officer of
Health for a certificate under the Inland Revenue Act. The drains of the
premises were 'Kemp' tested, and were found to be defective. Thereupon
the Medical Officer of Health requested the Sanitary Inspector to
water-test the drains, in order that the certificate might include everything.
An attempt was made to water-test them. A hose-pipe was put on, and
according to the computation of the fire-engine authorities about 15,000
gallons of water were passed into the drains. It was utterly useless to
try to fill the drain because the water would not rise higher than the
entrance to the chambers leading to the blocks. A deal of correspondence
was carried on between the Medical Officer of Health and the Secretary
to the Company holding the blocks, and eventually the case was brought
into Court. In addition to the defective condition of the drains, the
Inspector found that at the top of the buildings the flats were used as
drying grounds, and the sink waste-pipes, which also did service as
rain-water pipes, had open ends at the top of the buildings, emitting
very foul smells, complained of by the tenants wheu using the places for
drying, &c. The Borough Council Officers prescribed that traps should
be placed at the top of the pipes and the pipes then continued upwards
for ventilating purposes. Upon coming into Court, the whole of the facts
were laid before the Magistrate (Mr. Paul Taylor), and the Dwellings