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Nuisance from stable manure.
The removal of stable manure is now effected by the owners of the manure, the sanitary authorities
prescribing the frequency with which this should be done. A sanitary inspector may serve a notice on
the owner of a particular accumulation of manure, requiring him to remove it, and this notice must be
complied with within forty-eight hours. Further, the sanitary authority may employ scavengers, or
contract with scavengers, for collecting and removing the manure from stables and cowhouses within
their district, the occupiers of which signify their consent in writing to such removal. The removal
of manure three times a week, or not less frequently than every forty-eight hours, is generally required
by sanitary authorities, and much has been done to bring manure receptacles into compliance with the
by-laws of the County Council, but improvement of existing conditions must depend upon the willingness
of the sanitary authorities to institute a system of scavenging of manure similar to that adopted in
respect of house refuse.
Removal of house refuse.
The by-laws made by the County Council requiring house refuse to be removed from all premises
not less frequently than once in every week has effected a vast improvement in the scavenging of
London. Thus, instead of the householder having to hail the dust cart in its course through the
streets, a call is now required to be made at every house within the time prescribed by the by-law.
Several annual reports show that the number of complaints of householders that their dust has not
been removed is now comparatively very small. Moreover, some authorities have availed themselves
of the powers given by the Council's by-laws relating to daily removal to require such
removal in parts of their districts. The desirableness of more frequent removal than once a week is
by degrees being recognized by sanitary authorities, especially where [houses are built in flats, or
where blocks of artizans dwellings have been erected. Another circumstance, to which the medical
officers of health of Paddington and St. Marylebone refer in their annual reports, is contributing to
the need for the institution of a system of daily removal, viz., the larger use of gas fires, in which animal
and vegetable matter cannot be burnt as in the ordinary coal fire. Facilities for institution of such a
system have been given by the by-laws of the County Council which have led to the substitution of
movable dust receptacles for the fixed brick dustbins, and by section 23 of the Council's General
Powers Act, 1904, which empowers sanitary authorities to require the demolition of old and disused
brick dustbins. These powers have been largely utilized, the annual reports showing year by year the
number of movable receptacles provided and of fixed receptacles demolished. An important step has
now been taken by the sanitary authority of Westminster, who have decided to extend to the whole
area under their jurisdiction the system of daily removal which has hitherto been adopted in certain
localities only. It may be anticipated that this action of the Westminster City Council will be far-
reaching in its effects, for it will demonstrate to the rest of London the advantages and practicability of
daily removal. Under the by-laws of the County Council, when the sanitary authority decide to
collect house refuse daily, occupiers of premises are required to place on the kerbstone or other
convenient position, at times to be specified, a movable receptacle in which the dust has been
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