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88
Mr. Musgrave, Chairman of the Leyton Urban District Council,
said: Although Walthamstow may confess that they are sinners, I
deny that we are. We have a sewage works and not a farm as they
have. Our sewage works are the best known of. I have sometimes
drunk the water coming from our works, and, therefore, I am not
prepared to admit for one moment that because the Lea is polluted
where it enters Hackney that that comes from Leyton. I deny
that any pollution comes from Leyton at all. 1 will not admit
for one moment that it is caused by the effluent from the Leyton
Sewage Works though we shall be happy to join in any scheme.
The only idea that we have in our sequestration order against
Walthamstow is to get them to make the effluent better, I believe
Walthamstow are doing their best and when they sent to us a
request to join in the application to the London County Council to
take their sewage, Leyton did so, though I am bound to say that it
was by no means so pressing to them as to Walthamstow. Therefore,
I have no objection to any inquiry by Parliament, or the County
Council, or anybody else. Where the stream is polluted should be
known, and must be of public benefit to everybody, but as far as
Leyton is concerned we emphatically deny that there is any
pollution from our district.
Mr. Trumble, Chairman of the Sanitary Committee of the
Leyton District Council, said: We all agree that the River Lea is
polluted ana that the backwaters are disgraceful, but I can confirm
what the last speaker has said as far as our own works are concerned.
We distinctly deny that we are the offenders, and without going into
the question as to our mode of the treatment of sewage, I must say
that I would like to throw out an invitation to Mr. Pearce to come
and see our works, and see if they are not vastly superior to those
at Barking.
Mr. Anderson, Chairman of the Walthamstow Urban District
Council, said: In the case of Walthamstow we have done everything
possible, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that the London County
Council could help us. It is well known that we have a large sewage
farm, and not only that, but we have sewage works upon which we