View report page

Vestry as fully as the circumstances of the parish demand, and, if not,
to advise as to the steps it is desirable to take for their better enforcement.'
In connection with the reference, the Committee were directed
'to consider reports by the Medical Officer of Health and the Surveyor
with respect to any special matters which in their judgment have not
hitherto received, but which should receive, the attention of the
Vestry.' In my report to the Committee, dated March 13th, 1885,
referred to the subject of ' Periodical removal of manure and other
refuse matter, &c.,' and to what I thought to be the unexhausted
powers of the Metropolitan Board of Works, to make bye-laws for
' removing and disposing of refuse.' The report of the Committee
having been unanimously adopted by your Vestry (February 10th,
1886), was referred to the Law Committee and the Sanitary
Committee jointly, with a view to their advice 'as to the best
means to be adopted for carrying out the recommendations' contained
therein. The joint committees having considered the
reference, their report (dated 29th March, 1886), and the original
report, were forwarded to the Metropolitan Board of Works and
duly acknowledged ; but no action was taken. Of so much importance
were the reports thought to be by the Vestry, in 1889, that it was
decided to reprint them and to send them to the London County
Council and to every member of that body ; and this was done. In
this way the Council's attention was drawn to the subject, among
others, of the removal of offensive refuse, but no general action was
taken in reference thereto until the Bye-laws, which they were required
to make under section 16 (2) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891,
had been confirmed by the Local Government Board, 28th June, 1893.
" Meanwhile, however, an important step had been taken by the
Council, in 1891, in their amended bye-laws with respect to slaughterhouses,
which require (inter aha) the provision of ' suitable covered
galvanized iron receptacles for the purpose of receiving, and conveying
from the slaughter-house, all blood, manure, garbage, filth, or other
refuse products of the slaughtering of any cattle.' Such vessels must
be kept closed whilst containing any of the aforesaid substances, which
are required ' to be removed and conveyed from the premises in such
closed receptables within 24 hours of the completion of
slaughtering, in such manner and by such means as will not cause
nuisance either at the premises or in the public streets.'
" Such a bye-law as the above, making provision for the storage,
collection and conveyance through the streets of offensive substances,
such as fish and game offal, would, if properly carried out, remove all
the difficulties of the tradesmen above adverted to. No hours of the