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It is to be regretted that the Bill drafted by the Conference of
Metropolitan Vestries and District Boards to amend the definition
clause of the Metropolis Local Management Act, 1855, is no nearer
becoming law than it was a year ago.
SEWER VENTILATION.
The Vestry continues to fix ventilating shafts in suitable positions
whenever the consent of the owners of the property can be obtained,
and during the year 40 have been erected.
The London County Council have also at last placed a shaft in
Melmoth Place, and closed the surface ventilator in respect of which
the Vestry took proceedings against them in 1896.
NUISANCE FROM MANURE.
Mention was made last year of the difficulty experienced in the
summer in securing the regular clearance of manure from stables in
the parish. During the past year the Company who were the chief
offenders, undertook the removal themselves instead of trusting as
before to a Contractor, with the result that there were very few
complaints respecting the accumulation of the manure but there were
many with regard to the time of the removal of the offensive peat
moss litter and these seem to have been general throughout London as
enquiries were made by the County Council as to whether it was
desirable that peat moss litter should be included within the provisions
of the bye-law made under section 16 of the Public Health (London)
Act, "prescribing the hours of removal of offensive matter throughout
London and the construction of the carriage conveying such matter."
The Vestry informed the Council that they were strongly of opinion
that peat moss litter should be included within the provisions of the
bye-law and they also requested the Council to consider the
advisability of making an alteration in the hours prescribed, viz., that
the hours for removing offensive refuse shall be from 10 30 in the
evening to 8 in the morning for both winter and summer instead of as
now from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. between March and October and from
6 a.m. to 12 noon between November and February.