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SMOKE ABATEMENT.
540 observations of chimney shafts were made during the year and seven notices were
served. There were no prosecutions.
The Public Health (Smoke Abatement) Act, 1926, came into force on July 1st,
1927. The term " smoke " is now extended to include soot, ash, grit and gritty particles ; the
penalties for non-compliance with the Act are increased, and power is given to local authorities
to make bye-laws regulating the emission of smoke. The Authority for this purpose, for
the Metropolis, is the London County Council, and a bye-law was made under powers
contained in Section 2 of the Act on February 17th, 1931, and was allowed by the Minister
of Health and came into force on May 19th, 1931.
The bye-law states that the emission of black smoke for a period of three minutes,
and, after five years from the date of confirmation of this bye-law, for a period of two minutes,
in the aggregate within any continuous period of thirty minutes from any one chimney of a
building, other than a private dwelling house, shall, until the contrary be proved, be presumed
to be a nuisance liable to be dealt with summarily under the Public Health (London) Act,
1891.
FACTORY AND WORKSHOP ACTS.
Information concerning the work carried out under the above Acts is given in the
following tables in the form required by the Home Secretary :—